Question

Mayursharma was a Brahmana who established the kingdom of Kadamba in present day Karnataka. Which of the following do you think could have been true?

• A. He did not have to perform the Hiranyagarbha.
• B. He learnt military skills despite not belonging to the warrior class.
• C. He was a Samanta who ruled under another dynasty.
• D. He was born as the heir of the then king of Kadamba.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B)

The correct options are
A He did not have to perform the Hiranyagarbha.
B He learnt military skills despite not belonging to the warrior class.

Mayursharma was a Brahmana who was a scholar. He belonged to the priestly class and had to learn military skills to become a warrior. Back then the priestly class was seen as being of a higher cadre than the warrior class or the Kshatriyas as they were known. Due to this, he did not have to perform the ritual of the Hiranyagarbha. He fought against the ruling dynasty and established the Kadamba kingdom in present day Karnataka with Banavasi as its capital.