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THE FRESH READING AND INTERPRETATION OF PANCASARA PĀRSVANATHA TEMPLE
INSCRIPTION
Arvind Kumar Singh
The famous inscription on the pedestal of the marble effigy of the tradesman Āsāka (Āśāka) placed in the Vanarāja-vihar of Anahillapattana had been earlier published by late Muni Jinavijaya." The pedestal is staggered into five sections, the inscription-part is engraved on the central three of the total five) divisions in which the middle larger portion contains six lines and the two flanking parts four lines each (see plate).
On comparing Muni Jinavijaya's reading with the photograph of the inscription recently made by the American Institute of Indian Studies (see plate), some salient divergencies at once came to my notice : First, the revered Muniji had left out the right hand section (on spectator's right hand) in reading, which is why there are the gaps in the published text; second, the reading of a few words is inaccurate from the orthographical standpoint. I first present Muniji's reading below followed by my own complete reading with emendations.
1. संवत् १३०१ वर्षे वैशाखसुदि ९ शुक्र पूर्वमांडलिवास्तव्य-मोडज्ञातीय-नागेंद्र ... ... ... ... 2. सुत-श्रे० जाल्लणपुत्रेण श्रे० राजुकुक्षीसमुद्भतेन ठ० आशाकेन संसारसारः .... ... .... .... .... 3. योपार्जितवित्तेन अस्मिन् महाराजश्रीवनराजविहारे निजकोतिवल्लीवितान.... .... .... .... 4. कारितः तथा च श्री आशाकस्य मूर्तिरियं सुत ठ० अरिसिंहेन कारिता प्रतिष्ठिता.... .... .... .." 5. संबंधे गच्छे पंचासराविषे श्रीशीलग(गु)णसूरिसंताने शिष्य श्री... ... ... ... .... .... ..... 6. देवचंद्रसुरिभिः ॥ मंगलमहाश्रीः ॥ शुभं भवतु ॥ 1. संवत् १३०१ वर्षे वैशाखशुदि ९ शुक्रे पूर्व मांडलि वास्तव्य मोढज्ञातीय नागेंद्रात्मज श्रे० केसव 2. सुत श्रे० जाल्हण पुत्रेण श्रे० राज्ज कुक्षि समुद्भुतेन ठ० आसाकेन संसारसारतां गत्वा निजत्या3. योपार्जित वित्तन अस्मिन् महाराजश्रीवनराजविहारे निजकीत्तिवल्ली विलासमडपः सा (क्ष) प्तः 4. कारितः । तथा ठ० आसाकस्य मूर्तिरियं सुत ठ० अरिसिंहेन कारितां प्रतिष्ठिताः श्रीनागेंद्र कुल । 5. संबंधे गच्छे पंचासरावि (धे? ?) । श्रीशोलगणसरि संताने शिष्य श्री 6. देवचंद्रसूरिभिः ।। मंगलं महाश्रीः ।। शुभं भवत् ॥
It is clear that the inscription used dental 'sa' in the place of palatal 'sa' in Āsāka. (Jinavijayaji, however, reads the letter as palatal following perhaps the
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The Fresh Reading and Interpretation of Pancāsara Pārsvanātha Temple
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rule of the correct orthography.) On the other hand, Gudi' has been spelt “sudi' in his version. Below I jot down the differences in the two readings :Line Muniji's reading
My reading sudi
sudi Jällana
Jālhaņa Rāju Kukşi
Rājja Kukşi Āśākena
Āsākena vitāna
vilā sa ca
tha śri Āsāka-sya
Āsāka-sya kāritā
kāritām pratișthitā
pratisthitāḥ santāne
samtāne Devacandra
Devacamdra mamgala
mamgalam bhavatu
bhavat
The late Muniji gave no summary of the content nor did he indulge in any discussion thereof. The inscription is dated in the samvat year 1301 (A.D. 1244) and takes into account five generations of a Jaina family belonging to the Modha caste of tradesmen :
Nāgeṁdra
Sresthi Kesava (Keśava) Śreşthi Jālhaņa =Śreșthini Rājja Thakkura Ăsāka (Ašāka)
Thakkura Arisimha
It also refers to the erection by Āsāka at the famous Vanarāja-vihāraa vilāsamandapa (hall). The image of Āsāka was set up by Thakkura Arisimha, son of Āsāka. The consecration was officiated by Devacaņdra Sūri of the lineage of Śri Šilagana Sūri of the Pañcāsara-gaccha, an offshoot of the ancient Nāgemdra kula.4
Thakkura Arisimha may be identified with the Thakkura Arisimha who had composed the famous eulogical work the Sukstasaṁkirtana 5 in praise of Vastupāla who held the prime minister's office from A. D. 1220-1239 at the court of the Vāghelā regent Viradhavala of Dhoļakā.
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Arvind Kumar Singh
The inscription for the first time tells that there existed a gaccha named after Pañcāsara, and it was an emanation of the famous Nägemṁdra kula. It is likely that, even the first foundation of the Pañcāsara Pāršvanatha belonged to the abbot of the Nagendra kula, the temple built by Vanaräja Capotkata (c. A. D. 818-900).
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Notes and References
Prācīna Jaina Lekha Samgraha, pt. 2, pravarttak Śri Kämtivijaya Jaina Itihāsamālā, Vol. VI, Bhavanagara, 1921, p. 321.
2. The temple was dedicated to Jana Parsvanatha and founded by Vanarāja Capotkata in the last two decades of the 9th cent. A. D. Image is said to have been more ancient and was brought to Anhillapattana from Pañcasara, the ancestral town of Vanaraja.
3. According to Prof. M. A. Dhaky, the viläsamandapa is identical with the rangamandapa, aha hall common in the medieval Jaina temple ensembles. There are several instances of adding such halls in the medieval times to the earlier foundations.
4.
For detail see here Prof. M. A. Dhaky's paper "The Nagendra-gaccha". 5. Punyavijaya Suri (ed.), Singhi Jaina Series, Number 32, Bombay, 1961, pp. 62-64.
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PL 1. Pätan, Pañcâsarā Pārsvanātha temple Commemorative
image of thakkura ĀśākaS.1301/A. D. 1245
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________________ meenadiलिबाबा रामनवाडा .स 40aसनकालमयडालनलवनामाकरसंगमारा TAदनसमगुरव समर मासा गवतन जना मन सासगनिजात दिवसानिमहाराजा KIROIN Pl. 2xAsaka's image Inscription, S. 1301/A. D. 1245 ( Both the plates are reproduced here by courtasy and kindness of the American Institute of Indian Studies, Varanasi )