Historical Significance of early jaina Kadamba Inscriptions

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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 Bhagavata 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 pattabandha 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 Mrgesavarman 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 Srutakirti 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 pancamahapataka. According to the Jainas the

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Historical Significance of Early Jaina Kadamba Inscriptions 63 five sins are -- destruction of life, lying, unchastity, stealing and immoderate desire. The inscription ends with the words Rsabhaya naman. It is apparent from the inscription that the Jinendra temple of the ancient city of Palasika 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 Banavasi is dated in the 3rd regnal year. It records a grant of black-soil land ( Krsnabhumiksetra ) 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 Pattika is said to have been written by Damakirti Bhojaka. We have another Banavasi grante dated in the 4th year of Mrgesa'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 Nandisvara or Astahnika festival. By this grant the dharmamaharaja Sri Vijayasiva Mrgesavarman 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 Svetapatamahasramana who followed scrupulously the original teaching of the Arhat, and the third for the use of the Nirgrantha-mahasramanas. The reference to the Svetapata sadhus is of great significance. It clearly proves that the Svetambaras 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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64 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 (Santivarman), he caused to be built a Jinalaya at the town of Palasika ( Halsi ) and gave to the holy Arhats thirty three nivartanas of land between the river Matrsarit and Ingini sangama for the Yapaniyas, Nirgranthas and Kurcakas The executor of the grant was Bhojaka Damakirti. 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 Mrgesavarman 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 Bhanuvarman, who was probably the governor of Palasikal under Ravivarman. We are told that Bhanuvarman and one Pandara Bhojaka granted land to the Jina at Palasika, 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 Kakutsthavarman. According to it, in former days a Bhoja named Srutakirti, who acquired great favour of Kakutsthavarman named Srutakirti, enjoyed the village of Kheta. We have already taken note of the fact that king Kakutsthavarman granted a field in that village to senapati Srutakirti for serving him. After Srutakirti's death, at the time of Santivarman, his eldest son Mrgesa, after taking his father's permission, granted the village to the mother of Damakirti. It appears that Damakirti was the son of Srutakirti. The eldest son of Damakirti was pratihara Jayakirti, whose family is said to have been established in the world by an acarya 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 Palasika in which king Ravivarman himself participated. We are further told that the expenses for this Astahnika festival in the month of Karttika should be met from the revenue of the village. The grant further refers to the Yapaniya

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Historical Significance of Early Jaina Kadamba Inscriptions 65 monks and their chief Kumaradatta. The last few lines of the inscription conclusively show that king Ravivarman did everything to promote the worship of Jina at Palasika. It further appears that Suri Kumaradatta, 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 ( urjas ). 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 Damakirti 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 Palasika, which was built by one Mrgesa, the son of senapati Simha. On behalf of the temple, the grant was received by Candrakanta, who is described as the head of a Kurcaka Sangha named after Varisenacarya. It thus appears that a particular member of Kurcaka sect called Varisenacarya, established, before this date, a particular Sangha, which was named after him. We have already taken note of these Kurcakas, viho are mentioned in an inscription of the time of Mrgesavarman. The village Vasuntavatka, 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 Palasika is described here as the capital ( adhisthana ) of this king. We are told that the king, being requested by Sendraka chief Bhanusakti gave the grant of a village called Marade for a Jaina caityalaya of Palasika, which was the property of Sramana-sangha called Aharisti and who were under Acarya

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66 Dr. A. K. Chatterjee 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 Santivarman, issued from Triparvata (probably Halebid ). By this grant a piece of land at a place called Siddhakedara, which was in Triparvata division, was granted to the Yapaniya Sangha by Yuvaraja Devavarman, for the maintenance, worship and repair of a caityalaya, which was probably near Siddhakedara. 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 Palasika, 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 Kurcakas 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. Srimad-Bhagavat-Mahapurana, 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 Satavahanas 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.