Bhandi

Bhandi (भाण्डी) was the chief Secretary (Sachiva) of Harshavardhana Bhandi was son of brother of Harsha's mother. Perhaps the Jat clan Bhandi started after his name. It seems to be of Nagavanshi origin. It is likely that after the fall of Harshavardhana descendants of Bhandi scattered over the present states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Bhandi name of a flower in Mahabharata

Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 93 mentions Bhandi as the name of a flower.

भाण्डी पुष्पनिकाशेन तपनीयनिभेन च

अनुलिप्तः परार्घ्येन चन्दनेन सुगन्धिना (Mahabharata: 6.93.21)

Meaning: Smeared with fragrant sandal-paste of the hue of the Bhandi flower and bright as burnished gold, and clad in clean vestments, and proceeding with the sportive gait of the lion, Duryodhana looked beautiful like the Sun of brilliant radiance in the firmament.

On one site we find Bhandi mentioned as a porter:

विद्यार्थी सेवकः पान्थः क्षुधार्तो भयकातरः ।

भाण्डी च प्रतिहारी च सप्तसुप्तान् प्रबोधयेत् ॥

Meaning: Wake Up from Sleep the 7 persons mentioned below: student, servant, traveller, a hungry person, a person struck with fear, a porter and watchman.

Bhandi in Harsha Charita

The Harsha Charita of Bana/Chapter IV tells us about Bhandi as under:

About this time Yashovati's (mother of Harsha) brother presented his son Bhandi, a boy about eight years of age, to serve the young princes. Tufted with tossing side-locks of curly hair, the boy was like a reborn Kama with his head encircled by the smoke line of the flame of Shiva's anger. Darkened on one side of his body by an earring of sapphire, whitened on the other by the light of a pearl in his ear-ornament, he was like a compound Avatar of Vishnu and Shiva. A diamond bracelet bound about his stout forearm suggested a rejuvenated Parashu-Rama, betokened by the cord of his axe, which was itself all worn away in his slaughter of the Ksatriyas. Curved bits of coral were tied to his neck string, as if he were a reincarnate Hiranyakashipu wearing bits of Narasimha's claws broken against his adamantine breast. Though still a child, he bore himself stiffly, like a seed of the tree of valour.

Hukam Singh Pawar (Pauria) states: The companion princes of Harshavardhana, i.e. Kumaragupta III and Madhavagupta belonged to the Mallava tribe (Malloi) and Bhandi was a Poni ¹⁰⁴. Mahasenagupta, the mother of Prabhakarvardhana, the grand-mother of Harsha, was a princess of the Gupta (Dharana) lineage¹⁰⁵ . King Grahavarman, husband of Rajyashri was a Maukhari ¹⁰⁶. The Jats have among them the Kuntals, Mall or Malli; Poni or Punia or Paunyas, Dharanas as well as Mukharis or Mokharias. This does not seem to be a mere coincidence.

Bhandi clan

The Gwalior prasasti of Bhoja records that Nagabhata, the first king, defeated the Mlechchhas, and after him ruled his two nephews Kakkuka and Devaraja. Vatsaraja, the son of the latter, became a very powerful king and wrested the empire from the famous Bhandi clan.

ख्या[ताद=भांडी]कुलान=मद-ओत्कट-करि-प्राकार-दुर्लंघतो यह साम्राज्य धिज्य कारमुक सखा संख्ये हट हाड अग्रहित

"(Verse 7.) With strong bows as his companion he forcibly wrested the empire, in battle from the famous Bhandi clan, hard to be overcome by reason of the rampart made of infuriated elephants."

Hukum Singh Panwar (Pauria) and Bhim Singh Dahiya consider Bhandi to be identical with Poni or Puniya, a Jat clan.

In Buddhist source Mahāvyutpatti we get the name of Nagavanshi King Bhandi (भाण्डी) at S.No. 29. But another Buddhist source mentions Nagavanshi King Phandi (फांड़ी) at S.No. 29 in place of Bhandi. Probably due to linguistic variation Bhandi might have been changed to Phandi, from which originated Phandan Jat clan.

Places after Bhandi

• Bhadi (भाडी) is a village in Bhadra tahsil in Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan.
• Bhandi village in Bilaspur tahsil of Bilaspur Chhattisgarh district in Chhattisgarh
• Bhandi village in Pendraroad tahsil in Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh.
• Bhandi village is a forest village in Waraseoni tahsil of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh
• Bhandi villagein Gotegaon tahsil in Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh
• Bhandi Khera Village in Chittorgarh tahsil and district in Rajasthan.
• Keshopur Bhandi in Sambhal tahsil of Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh.
• Bhandi - place is situated in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India, its geographical coordinates are 31° 10' 53" North, 77° 0' 34" East and its original name (with diacritics) is Bhāndi.

• Bhandi Shegaon is a Village in Pandharpur Taluk in Solapur District in Maharashtra State in India . Bhandi Shegaon is 12.32 km distance from its Taluk Main Town Pandharewadi . Bhandi Shegaon is 73.57 km distance from its District Main City Solapur North . And 292 km distance from its State Main City Mumbai.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Bhandi = Phandi (Jat clans) → Bhandi (भाण्डी). Bhandi (भाण्डी) is a village in Tamia tahsil in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. Bhandi (भाण्डी) or Phandi (फांड़ी) was a Nagavanshi King. In Buddhist source Mahāvyutpatti we get the name of Nagavanshi King Bhandi (भाण्डी) at S.No. 29. But another Buddhist source mentions Nagavanshi King Phandi (फांड़ी) at S.No. 29 in place of Bhandi. Probably due to linguistic variation Bhandi might have been changed to Phandi, from which originated Phandan Jat clan.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Bhandi = Phandi (Jat clans) → Bhandi (भाण्डी). Bhandi (भाण्डी). Bhandi (भाण्डी) is a village in Chhindwara tahsil in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. Bhandi (भाण्डी) or Phandi (फांड़ी) was a Nagavanshi King. In Buddhist source Mahāvyutpatti we get the name of Nagavanshi King Bhandi (भाण्डी) at S.No. 29. But another Buddhist source mentions Nagavanshi King Phandi (फांड़ी) at S.No. 29 in place of Bhandi. Probably due to linguistic variation Bhandi might have been changed to Phandi, from which originated Phandan Jat clan.

References

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