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Historical Significance of Early Jaina Kadamba Inscriptions
Dr. A. K. Chatterjee"
Jainism had reached Karnataka probably as early as the second century A. D., and we have the evidence of an important non-Jaina text, namely the Bhāgavata regarding the introduction of Jainism in this Janapada. We have shown elsewhere2 that in Tamilnadu, Kerala and Sri-Lanka, Jainism was introduced much earlier, probably in the pre-Mauryan days. But the Digambaras of Northern India, were in all probability, responsible for the introduction of Jainism in Karnataka by the middle of the second century A. D. However, the earliest Jaina epigraph from this state is dated in about 400 A. D. Both the Western Ganges and the Kadambas were the major ruling dynasties in this area at this period, and the kings of both these dynasties had some genuine love for the religion of the Jainas.
The Kadambas, like the Western Ganges, came into the limelight from the middle of the 4th century A. D. Like the latter they too were great patrons of the Jaina religion and culture. The earliest inscription of the dynasty of the founder Mayurasarman is assigned to the middle of the 4th century A. D. The first king of this dynasty, who definitely showed special favour for the Jainas, was Kakutsthavarman whose Halsi grant (Belgaum district, Karnataka) is dated in the 80th year of the paṭṭabandha of his ancestor Mayurasarman". It has been suggested that the year 80 may also be referred to the Gupta era; in that case the inscription should be assigned to circa 400 A. D., which is also supported by the palaeography of the record.
The inscription begins with an adoration of the holy Jinendra who is represented almost as a theistic deity. Some of the grants of Mrgeśavarman and Ravivarman begin with the same verse. It was issued from Palasika (Halsi, Belgaum district) by Kakutsthavarman, who is represented as the yuvaraja of the Kadambas'. By this grant, a field in the village called Khetagrama, which belonged to the holy Arhats, was given to the general Śrutakirti as a reward for saving the prince. It is said that the confiscators of the field, belonging to the king's own family or any other family, would be guilty of pañcamahāpātaka. According to the Jainas the
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five sins are — destruction of life, lying, unchastity, stealing and immoderate desire. The inscription ends with the words Rşabhāya naman.
It is apparent from the inscription that the Jinendra temple of the ancient city of Palāśika was built before the date of this inscription and probably som in the 4th century A. D.
Several grants of Mrgesavarman, the grandson of Kakutsthavarman, who ruled in the last quarter of the 5th century A. D.6 are connected with the Jaina religion. The first inscription' found at Banavāsi is dated in the 3rd regnal year. It records a grant of black-soil land ( Krsnabhūmiksetra ) in the village called BrhatParalura to the divine, supreme Arhat 'whose feet are rubbed by the tiara of the lord of gods' for the purpose of the glory of sweeping out the temple, anointing the idol with ghee, performing worship and repairing anything that may be broken. Another piece of land was also granted for decorating the idol with flowers. The term devakula is also used in this connection. The Pattikā is said to have been written by Dāmakirti Bhojaka. We have another Banavāsi grante dated in the 4th year of Mrgeśa's reign which was issued on the 8th of the bright fortnight of varsa, when the king was residing at Vaijayanti. The dating of the inscription was surely due to the Jaina influence", as it was the time of the Nandiśvara or Astāhnika festival. By this grant the dharmamahārāja Sri Vijayasiva Mrgeśavarman made a gift of a village of the name of Kalavanga. It was divided in three equal portions; the first was meant for the temple of Jinendra which was situated at a place called Paramapuskala. The second portion was meant for the Sangha of the Svetapatamahāśramana who followed scrupulously the original teaching of the Arhat, and the third for the use of the Nirgrantha-mahāśramanas.
The reference to the Svetapata sādhus is of great significance. It clearly proves that the Svetāmbaras were equally popular in Karnataka in the 5th century A. D. The statement that they followed the good teaching of the Arhat implies that they were held in special esteem in those days. It is also evident from the inscription that the Jinendra temple mentioned here, was the joint property of the monks of both the sects. Needless to say, these monks belonging to the main branches of Jainism, lived in perfect harmony in the 5th century A. D. The seal of the grant, according to Fleet, bears the device of a Jinendra.
The third inscription of Mrgesavarman, bearing on Jainism, is the Halsi granto dated in the 8th year of that king. It begins like the inscription of Kakutsthavarman with an adoration to Jinendra in exactly the same words. The king Mrgesa
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Dr. A. K. Chatterjee
is further described as Tunga-Gangakulotsadi and Pallavapralayanala which suggest his success over the Western Ganges and Pallavas. Then we are told that, while residing at Vaijayanti, through devotion of his father (Säntivarman), he caused to be built a Jinālaya at the town of Palāśika ( Halsi ) and gave to the holy Arhats thirty three nivartanas of land between the river Mātrsarit and Ingini sangama for the Yāpaniyas, Nirgranthas and Kurcakas The executor of the grant was Bhojaka Dāmakirti. Fleet takes the bhojakas as the official priests in Jaina temples. But who were the Kurcakas mentioned in this inscription ? It appears that they were bearded ascetics" and were distinguished from other Nirgrantha monks, who did not keep any beard. Some other grants of Mrgeśavarman are meant for the Brahmins and other non-Jainas, which show that he was not a converted Jaina'?.
The next king Ravivarman was not only a very able ruler and a great conqueror but also a sincere patron of the Jaina religion. We must at first refer to his Halsi grant'3 dated in the eleventh year of his reign, which refers to his brother Bhānuvarman, who was probably the governor of Palāśikal under Ravivarman. We are told that Bhānuvarman and one Pandara Bhojaka granted land to the Jina at Palāśika, which was situated in a village called Kardamapati. We are further told that the land was given for the purpose of worshiping the Lord Jina on every fullmoon day. We must then refer to two undated Halsi grants of the time of Ravivarman both of which are of great importance.
The first undated Halsi grant15 of Ravivarman records the interesting history of a family that received favour from the days of king Kākutsthavarman. According to it, in former days a Bhoja named Srutakirti, who acquired great favour of Kākutsthavarman named Srutakirti, enjoyed the village of Kheta. We have already taken note of the fact that king Kākutsthavarman granted a field in that village to senapati Srutakirti for serving him. After Srutakirti's death, at the time of Sāntivarman, his eldest son Mrgesa, after taking his father's permission, granted the village to the mother of Dāmakirti. It appears that Dāmakirti was the son of Śrutakirti. The eldest son of Dāmakirti was pratihāra Jayakirti, whose family is said to have been established in the world by an ācārya named Bandhusena. In order to increase his fortune, fame and for the sake of religious merit, Jayakirti, through the favour of king Ravi gave the village of Parukhetaka (probably larger Kheta ) to the mother of his father. This interesting grant further refers to the 8-day festival of Lord Jina at Palāśika in which king Ravivarman himself participated. We are further told that the expenses for this Astāhnika festival in the month of Kārttika should be met from the revenue of the village. The grant further refers to the Yāpaniya
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monks and their chief Kumāradatta. The last few lines of the inscription conclusively show that king Ravivarman did everything to promote the worship of Jina at Palāśika. It further appears that Suri Kumāradatta, mentioned in this inscription, was a celebrated Jaina savant, belonging to the Yapaniya sect and was universally admired for his learning and holiness. We must note carefully the following lines of this inscription "wheresoever the worship of Jinendra is kept up, there is increase for the country, and the lords of these countries acquire strength ( ūrjas ).
The second undated Halsi grant of Ravivarman 16 is historically more important since, it refers to the killing of Visnuvarman, the lord of Kanci. The actual donor was Srikirti, the younger brother of Dāmakirti and the object was to increase the merit of their mother. A copper plate inscription" dated in the 34th year of this king, found from Chitradurga district ( Karnataka) records a grant of land to a Jaina temple.
It should here be remembered that Ravivarman did not favour the Jainas alone; other religious sects also received good treatment from his. This is proved by his inscriptions found from different places. Ravivarman ruled in the closing years of the 5th and the first quarter of the 6th century A. D.19
The Jainas also enjoyed patronage during the rule of Ravivarman, who unlike his father Ravivarman, was not a very strong king. We have two dated Halsi grants of his reign. The first is dated in the 4th year of his reign20. It records that at Uccasrngi, the king at the advice of his uncle ( pitvya ) named Sivaratha, gave the grant of a village to an Arhat temple of Palāśika, which was built by one Mrgesa, the son of senāpati Simha. On behalf of the temple, the grant was received by Candrakānta, who is described as the head of a Kūrcaka Sangha named after Vārisenācārya. It thus appears that a particular member of Kūrcaka sect called Varisenācārya, established, before this date, a particular Sangha, which was named after him. We have already taken note of these Kūrcakas, viho are mentioned in an inscription of the time of Mrgesavarman. The village Vasuntavātka, which was given as grant was situated at Kandura-visaya. The inscription ends with a verse addressed to Vardhamana.
The second Halsi grant of Harivarman's reign is dated in his 5th regnal year. It is interesting that Palāśika is described here as the capital ( adhisthāna ) of this king. We are told that the king, being requested by Sendraka chief Bhānusakti gave the grant of a village called Marade for a Jaina caityālaya of Palāśika, which was the property of Sramana-sangha called Aharişti and who were under Acārya
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Dharmanandin. The Sendrakas were obviously the feudatories of the Kadambas. Harivarman, however, before the end of his reign, became a Saivaa?
Another branch of the Kadamba dynasty, who ruled in the southern part of the original Kadamba dominion, also patronised the Jainas. We have a grant23, of the time of Krsnavarman I ( c. 475-485 A. D. ), the brother of Sāntivarman, issued from Triparvata (probably Halebid ). By this grant a piece of land at a place called Siddhakedāra, which was in Triparvata division, was granted to the Yāpaniya Sangha by Yuvarāja Devavarman, for the maintenance, worship and repair of a caityālaya, which was probably near Siddhakedāra.
The above discussion shows the flourishing condition of Jainism in different parts of the Kadamba dominion. It appears that there were a number of Jaina temples at Palāśika, which was flourishing town in those days. These inscriptions, as noted above, have disclosed the name of a great number of Jaina savants, some of whom were even respected by the reigning monarchs. The references to different Jaina sects like the Nirgranthas, Svetapatas and Kūrcakas prove that all these schools had their followers in the Kadamba dominion. The lay followers used to celebrate, with great pomp, the various Jaina festivals and needless to say, such festivals made the Jaina religion extremely popular among the masses. The Kadamba kings, it appears, in spite of their religious catholicity, had special love for the Jaina religion. It was mainly because of their patronage that Jainism became a dominant religious force in Karnataka.
References 1. Śrimad-Bhagavat-Mahāpurāņa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur (India), Ed. Ilnd, 1982,
V, Chapters 3ff. 2. A. K. Chatterjee, A Comprehensive History of Jainism, Firma K.L.M. Pvt. Ltd.,
1978, Vol. I, 118 ff. 3. D. C. Sircar, Select Inscriptions, etc., Vol. I, University of Calcutta, 1942, 473 f. 4. See D. C. Sircar, Successors of the Sātavāhanas etc., University of Calcutta,
1939, p. 255; see also I. A., Vol. VI, p. 23. 5. (Ed.) Jas. Burgess, Indian Antiquity, Vol. VI, Svati Publications, Delhi, 1984, p.
234. fn. 6. (Ed.) R. C. Mazumdar, The Classical Age, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay,
1954, 272. 7. I. A., Vol. VII, 35-36.
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________________ Historical Significance of Early Jaina Kadamba Inscriptions 67 8. Ibid., 37-38. 9. See Sircar, op. cit., 262. 10. I. A., Vol. VI, 24-25. 11. See M. M. Williams, S. E. D., 300. 12. See E. C., Vol. IV, 130; Vol. VIII, 12. 13. I. A., Vol. VI, 28. 14. Sircar, op. cit., 269. 15. 1. A., Vol. M, 25-26. 16. Ibid., 29-30. 17. M. A. R., 1933, 109 ff. 18. See The Classical Age, 273. 19. 1. A., Vol. VI, 30-31. 20. Ibid., 31-32. 21. See E. I., Vol. 14, 165. 22. 1. A., Vol. VII, 33. 23. Ibid, Vol. VII, 33. Reader, Calcutta University. Residence : 24E, Jyotish Roy Road, Calcutta - 700 053.