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________________ THE FRESH READING AND INTERPRETATION OF PANCASARA PARSVANATHA TEMPLE INSCRIPTION Arvind Kumar Singh The famous inscription on the pedestal of the marble effigy of the tradesman Asaka (Asaka) placed in the Vanaraja-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. saMvat 1301 varSe vaizAkhasudi 9 zukra pUrvamAMDalivAstavya-moDajJAtIya-nAgeMdra ... ... ... ... 2. suta-zre0 jAllaNaputreNa zre0 rAjukukSIsamudbhatena Tha0 AzAkena saMsArasAraH .... ... .... .... .... 3. yopArjitavittena asmin mahArAjazrIvanarAjavihAre nijakotivallIvitAna.... .... .... .... 4. kAritaH tathA ca zrI AzAkasya mUrtiriyaM suta Tha0 arisiMhena kAritA pratiSThitA.... .... .... .." 5. saMbaMdhe gacche paMcAsarAviSe zrIzIlaga(gu)NasUrisaMtAne ziSya zrI... ... ... ... .... .... ..... 6. devacaMdrasuribhiH // maMgalamahAzrIH // zubhaM bhavatu // 1. saMvat 1301 varSe vaizAkhazudi 9 zukre pUrva mAMDali vAstavya moDhajJAtIya nAgeMdrAtmaja zre0 kesava 2. suta zre0 jAlhaNa putreNa zre0 rAjja kukSi samudbhutena Tha0 AsAkena saMsArasAratAM gatvA nijatyA3. yopArjita vittana asmin mahArAjazrIvanarAjavihAre nijakIttivallI vilAsamaDapaH sA (kSa) ptaH 4. kAritaH / tathA Tha0 AsAkasya mUrtiriyaM suta Tha0 arisiMhena kAritAM pratiSThitAH zrInAgeMdra kula / 5. saMbaMdhe gacche paMcAsarAvi (dhe? ?) / zrIzolagaNasari saMtAne ziSya zrI 6. devacaMdrasUribhiH / / maMgalaM mahAzrIH / / zubhaM bhavat // It is clear that the inscription used dental 'sa' in the place of palatal 'sa' in Asaka. (Jinavijayaji, however, reads the letter as palatal following perhaps the
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________________ The Fresh Reading and Interpretation of Pancasara Parsvanatha Temple 87 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 Jallana Jalhana Raju Kuksi Rajja Kuksi Asakena Asakena vitana vila sa ca tha sri Asaka-sya Asaka-sya karita karitam pratisthita pratisthitah santane samtane 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 : Nagemdra Sresthi Kesava (Kesava) Sresthi Jalhana =Sresthini Rajja Thakkura Asaka (Asaka) Thakkura Arisimha It also refers to the erection by Asaka at the famous Vanaraja-viharaa vilasamandapa (hall). The image of Asaka was set up by Thakkura Arisimha, son of Asaka. The consecration was officiated by Devacandra Suri of the lineage of Sri Silagana Suri of the Pancasara-gaccha, an offshoot of the ancient Nagemdra kula.4 Thakkura Arisimha may be identified with the Thakkura Arisimha who had composed the famous eulogical work the Sukstasamkirtana 5 in praise of Vastupala who held the prime minister's office from A. D. 1220-1239 at the court of the Vaghela regent Viradhavala of Dholaka.
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________________ Arvind Kumar Singh The inscription for the first time tells that there existed a gaccha named after Pancasara, and it was an emanation of the famous Nagemmdra kula. It is likely that, even the first foundation of the Pancasara Parsvanatha belonged to the abbot of the Nagendra kula, the temple built by Vanaraja Capotkata (c. A. D. 818-900). 88 Notes and References Pracina Jaina Lekha Samgraha, pt. 2, pravarttak Sri Kamtivijaya Jaina Itihasamala, Vol. VI, Bhavanagara, 1921, p. 321. 2. The temple was dedicated to Jana Parsvanatha and founded by Vanaraja 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 Pancasara, the ancestral town of Vanaraja. 3. According to Prof. M. A. Dhaky, the vilasamandapa 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. Patan, Pancasara Parsvanatha temple Commemorative image of thakkura AsakaS.1301/A. D. 1245
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________________ meenadilibAbA rAmanavADA .sa 40asanakAlamayaDAlanalavanAmAkarasaMgamArA TAdanasamagurava samara mAsA gavatana janA mana sAsaganijAta divasAnimahArAjA 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 )