22 SOCIAL SCIENTIST note to the inscription, Lovek Earth has observed that in the Saptadeva-kulas relationship (anvaya) is traced from maternal uncle to nephew or grandnephew (bhagineya, bhdgineyJja). He expressed wonder at the constant exclusion of descendants in the direct line, in spite of the fact that the large majority of these people did not live an ascetic life and at least one of these, Kavisvara, has been categorically stated to have got married. Thus he came to the conclusion that ^the mdtrvam^a was an institution of ancient Khmer society and it had nothing to do with the celibacy of priests.556 A few years later in 1901 Barth seems to have reversed his opinion, evidently being overwhelmed by the explicit reference to the defrocking of Sadasiva in the Sdok Kak Thorn (SKT) inscription which gives the history of the maternal family of Sivakaivalya which pretended to enjoy a monopoly right of officiating in the service of the Devaraja, the official cult of the state.7 Reckoning descent from maternal uncle to nephew (in Sanskrit bhagineya, svasnya; in Khmer Kanmray) or grandnephew (in Sanskrit bhagimsutd-sunu', in Khmer c Priestly Families To take a few examples of sacerdotal matrilineal families: (i) In the pre-Ankorian period the Vat Ph^u inscriptions mention four or five generations of a matrilineal Brahmana family.18 (ii) In the Ankorian period the family of Pin Svan-gramavati or ofKusasthali14 was matrilineal but nevertheless the genealogy shows two generations in the paternal line, Adhyapaka Rajendrapai^dita and Nagapala. (iii) Bhagavata Kavi i^riaivasakavi Pi:thivindrapandita, the preceptor (gurusdstd) of king Jayavarman III (AD 850-877) was born in a maternal family {sdmprapta mdtrvamsodayo bhavat,} i B From the genealogical table which may be drawn up by comparing the inscriptions on the sanctuary B, door-pillar II, 11. 1-22, door-pillar III, 11. 1-22 and door-pillar II, 11. 23-38, of Pr^sai Kok P6 it appears that Sii Nivasakavi was