Jaina Corpus of Koppala Inscriptions X rayed

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/006751/1

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JAINA CORPUS OF KOPPALA INSCRIPTIONS
X-RAYED
Di Nagarajaiah, Fama

Tor private & Personal Use Only
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JAINA CORPUS OF KOPPALA
INSCRIPTIONS: X-RAYED
Dr. Nāgarājaiah, Hampa (Former Professor of Bangalore University)
AOC
ANKITA PUSTAKA 53, Shamsingh Complex, Gandhibazar Main Road Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560 004
Karnataka, INDIA , * 080-699 2014 (0) 080-6549633 (R)

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JAINA CORPUS OF KOPPALA INSCRIPTIONS X-RAYED: A monograph on the cultural significance of the Koppaļa inscriptions, by Dr. Hampa. Någarājaiah, Former Professor and author; Published by Ankita Pustaka, 53, Shamsingh Complex, Gandhibazar Main Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560 004, Karnataka, INDIA * 080-699 2014 (0) 080-6549633 (R)
Pages : VIII + 12 + 76
Price: Rs. 125
$ 10
£8
© Author
Cover Page: Makali
ISBN: 81-87321-18-0
Published by: Ankita Pustaka 53, Shamsingh Complex, Gandhibazar Main Road Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560 004 Karnataka, INDIA * 080-699 2014 (O) 080-6549633 (R)
Co-publisher: Jain Humanities Press A unit of Bramhi Jain Society U.S.A. & Canada 1331, Clinton Street Buffalo, N.Y. 14206
Printed at: Satyasri Printers Pvt. Ltd. Chamarajpet, Bangalore - 560 018 ©: 080-625736, 080-6506023

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Author's Note
Several hundreds of nisidhi inscriptions have cc ne to light in Karnataka. So far the earliest Niśidhi comes from Sosale (C. 500 C.E.), Śravanabelagoļa (C. 6th cent. C.E.) and from Arhapalli (6th cent. C.E.). But, the highest number of such post obitum epigraphs, after Śravanabelagola, come from Koppaļa, which are discussed thread bare in this text.
This hoard of new inscriptions that I discovered, offer indubitable proof of the resurgence and supremacy of the Nirgrantha cult, and justify the existence of a strong nucleus at Koppala. Jainism received a strong fillip, because of the friars and nuns who zealously worked like missionaries. They were great masters of syādvāda-siddhānta, the quintacense of Jaina philosophy. Through their austerity, strenuous penance, they had destroyed the latancies to attain salvation. Not only one can easily notice the peace radiating personality of the ascetics, so transperant in these inscriptions, but also the spiritual pedigree of the pontiffs and patriarchs.
Many of the nisidhi or post-mortem memorial stones of Koppaļa speak of the affiliation of the kings, queens, princes and princesses of various royal dynasties like the Gangas, the Rāştrakūtas and the Cālukyas of Kalyāņa. It is a well known fact that Royal patronage was sin qua non for the progress of a religion in ancient times. Jainism had the privelige of profusely enjoying it for over a thousand and five hundred years in Karnataka, commencing from Candragupta Maurya who embraced Jainism, and migrated to South with his preceptor Bhadrabāhu-l, and courted death by starvation on the Candragiri Hill, named after him, at SB. Although Asoka was more inclined towards Buddhism, he was so sympathetic to Jainism that he dug caves in the Barabar Hills for Ajivakamonks and gave gifts to the Nirgranthas. Samprati Candragupta, grand son of Asoka, did so much for the propagation of Jainism that he is known as Jaina Asoka'. Therefore, with this in background, it is interesting to note that Asoka chose some important Jaina seats like Koppaļa for his rock edicts.
Since almost all the inscriptions in this corpus are niśidhi charters, it does not mean that Jainism as a religion is primarily

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meant for those who renounce the life of a householder, and take to the life of a recluse by joining the monkhood or nunhood, and not for those who continue to live an ordinary life. The truth is that whatever the great exponents, the Tirthankaras and their disciples preached, applied to one and all. As such, lay-life is no impediment in realizing the highest and ultimate goal in Jainism. Mahavira and his predecessors envisaged the total Jaina community consisting of the four-fold congregation of the sect-the monk, nun, upāsaka of śravaka, the male householder, and upasika or sravika, the lady votary, in the equal spiritual gain by all of them on par.
Thus, there is no need to exaggerate the significance of the corpus of Koppala inscriptions apropos the history of Karnataka and Jainism. I had the opportunity of editing and analysing these epigraphs in my Kannada book entitled 'Koppala Śāsanagalu' (1998). Based on that, I have endevoured to highlight the same material in this book, incorporating some required changes. My learned friend Dr. Devarakonda Reddy has helped me in procuring the photographs of Koppala, Prakash Kambathahalli, one of the leading and standard publishers in Karnataka, has accepted the onus of publishing this book, in addition to my two other books in English. M/s Sathyasri Printers have satisfactorily done the printing work. Dr. Kamala Hampana, my wife, as usual has been the source of inspiration. I am greatful to all of them, and others too, who have helped me in preparing this monograph.

Nagarajaiah, Hampa

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CONTENTS
Authors' Note
Illustrations
Chapters
1. Preamble
2. Koppa!a Through ages
19
3. Theme and Aim of the Epigraphs 4. Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions
5. Appendices
a. Abbreviations b. Bibliography

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About the Author
Prof. Nagarajaiah, Hampa, one of the major litterateurs of Karnataka, has authored more than 70 books in Kannada and English, on varied subjects including linguistics, history and epigraphy, textual criticism, folklore, biography, transalation, children literature and Jainism. Some of his books have been translated to English, Hindi, Marathi and Telugu. He has taught under-graduate and postgraduate classes for 37 12 years. He has served Kannada Sāhitya Parishat as secretary (8 years) and president (8 years). With 'Hampana' as his nom de plume, he is a recipient of a number of state and national awards. He has presented papers at the national and inter-national congress and delivered endowment lectures at various Universities. Contemporary men of letters have honoured 'hampana' by presenting five felicitatory volumes. Dr. Nagarajaiah's contribution to the study of Jainology is voluminous and significant

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Illustrations
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Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa

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Illustrations

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Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
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Illustrations
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Jaina Corpus of Koppala
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Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
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Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
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Illustrations
DETAILS OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Fort of Koppa!a on the hill 2. A view of modern Gavimatha 3. A boulder containing Aśoka's minor rock-edict, near Gavimatha 4. Pālki-gundu where another inscription of Asoka was discovered 5. Sculpture of a seated Jina and Jaina monk, and his disciple tak
ing the oath of sallekhanā 6. (West) view of Gavimatha 7. Another view of boulder containing an inscription of Asoka
(Gavimatha) 8. A Jaina cave (Pālki-gundu). Inside the cave are the foot-prints of
Jaina monk 9. A view of the interior of Gavimatha, with bhitti kosthas, niches in
the exterior wall
10. Jina, standing in Kāyotsarga, dismissing the body posture, and
triple umbrella above the head. A relief on the boulder at
Gavimatha 11. Candrāma-bande, and steps leading to the top 12. Bas-relief of a Jina in Khadgāsana, on the Candrāma-bande 13. Sculpture of a seated Jina in padmāsana, on the boulder of
Candrāmabande, capped with triple umbrella. Below it is the sculpture of a Jaina monk administering the vow of sallekhanā
to a couple. 14. Door-frame, with ornate jambs, of an old Jaina temple at Koppaļa 15. Images of two Tirthankaras. The seated Jina-bimba in
paryankāsana posture is of Ādinātha. The Jina image in Kāyotsarga posture is capped with triple-umbrella, and creeper
band aureola going round 16. Jina images of Pārsvanātha, Pañca-Tirths, Cavvisa-Tirthi, and
Candranātha (in marble) - inside the sanctum 17. Four images of Jinas:
1. Cavvisa-Tirthi with Mahāvira standing in the centre, on the pedestal (above)

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Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
2. Jina in Kāyotsarga and Chatra-traya 3. Jina-Pārsva (seated) 4. Jina-Pārśva in Khadgāsana, standing on Visva-padma and
capped with triple-umbrella 18. Bas-relief of Jina in Kāyotsarga, and the lay lady and male vota
ries taking the vow of sallekhanā, and the friars administering
the oath 19. Broken image of Puşpadanta Jina, seated and an inscription on
the pedestal stating that it was caused by Sāmsaja, son of
Bommisa (C. 12th cent.) 20. Daņakana-bāvi, a well founded by Daņaka (an abbreviated form
of Daņdaņāyaka, a general) 21. A mutilated Cāmaradhāri, inside the Jaina-shrine 22. Niśidhikā of Mākāļayya, seated with folded hands, who died in
C.E. 998, by the rite of sallekhanā. 23. Niśidhi inscription of Mākāļayya 24. Niśidhi inscription of Abhayanandi-panditadeva, pupil of the monk
Jayanandi Siddhanti of Balagāra qana, who courted deat on 6
3-1005, by abstinence from all kinds of food (K. 19) 25. Niśidhi inscription of the adept Trika!a-Yogiśvara, who met his
ritual death on Monday 1-11-997, with equanimity (K. 21) 26. Niśidhi of the monk Mauni Bhattāraka, who met his ritual death
by fasting on 14-3-1019 (K. 9) 27. Niśidhi of Cangaladevi, a lady votary 28. Beginning portion of a nisidhiinscription, with an invocatory line
bhadramastu-jina-śāsanāya 29. Niśidhi inscription of Bijjāmbikādevi, daughter of Būtuga and elder
sister of Mārasimha. (K. 60). She courted death with equanimity
on 5-10-1003 (Tuesday) 30. Niśidhi-mantapa, decorated structure on the raised platform, on
Candragiri Hill (Sravanabelago!a) 31. Four tall ni idhi columns, standing inside the mandapa, at
Sravanabelagola (Candragiri Hill)

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1.0
Chapter 1
PREAMBLE Koppaļa, a newly formed district in Karņāțaka, is an important Jaina centre, only next in importance to Śravanabe!gola, from the last centuries of B.C. Reputed as Adi-tirtha and Mahā-tirtha, a holiest resort and pilgrimage place, it continued to be a major centre of eminence for nearly 1500 years. Kopana, Kopaņādri, Kopanagiri, Kopaņa-tirtha are the other variants and older nomens of the present Koppaļa, used in the inscriptions.
1.1 "Inscriptions hailing from the Mysore state speak of the
usually large number of Jain temples, which was a characteristic feature of this holy place. Reminiscence of this past phenomenon is still preserved in a local saying which avers that the town contained 772 Jaina temples and was regarded by the Jaina community as sacred as Kāśi-Kșetra or Banares, the famous holy place of the Hindus (Desai, P.B.: 1957; 203; Saletore, B.A.; 1938:190; Krishnamacharlu,
C.R.: 1935:14; Sastry, N.B: 1954]. 1.1.1 Out of hundreds of Jinālayas that existed at Koppa!a, only
the following names, each bearing a cognomen, have survived in the inscriptions: Arasiya-basadi (temple of the queen), Kuśa-Jinālaya, Candranātha basadi, JayadhiraJinālaya, Timabbarasiya-basadi, Tirthada-basadi, Daņņāyaka-basadi, Nagadevana-basadi, NemināthaJinālaya, Puşpadanta-Jinālaya, śāntinātha-basadi, Sātaladeviya-basadi. Basadi is the Kannada synonym of Sanskrit Vasati meaning a Jinālaya. Of the above temples, Jayadhira-Jinālaya was constructed by the famous general Sankara-ganda-dandanāyaka in 960 C.E. [Desai, P.B.:
1957:372; Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 1998-A: 165] 1.1.2 With its caverns inhabited by Śramaņas and two huge rocky
hillocks, in close proximity as an abode of peace and penance, Koppala attracted monks and nuns. Particularly Nirgrantha friars had always a preference for such secluded places and obviously Koppala became a major Jaina re

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2 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
sort, a sacred hillock of excellence. Thus, Koppaļa was completely over run by Jainism. “Besides, an account of its geographical position, Kopaņa seems to have been placed in very congenial circumstances, especially political, that contributed to its rapid growth as a Mahā-tirtha" [Desai:
1957:157) 1.2 Because Koppaļa was a dominant place and a treasure
house of Jaina art, architecture, sculpture and literature, it has, through ages, produced an immense amount of significant archeological and art historical material. Hundreds of Jaina shrines, monasteries, satras ['feeding houses'), friaries [muni-nivāsas] in this principal town, ranging in date between 7th and 16th cent. attracted the male and female monach and lay votaries. "We note that in the seventh century A.D. Kopana was essentially a Jaina tirtha. Epigraphic evidence prove this. In the Halageri inscription of the western Chālukya king Vijayāditya [A.D. 696-733] mention is made of this great Jaina sanctuary" [Saletore:192]. Though Koppaļa was reckoned as the foremost and supreme sacred tirtha, a holy resort of Jaina order, solid and valid proof to establish it as an historical truth, was lacking. Koppaļa has not yet been properly surveyed and examined with extensive and intensive field work; the researches conducted since the days of B.L. Rice, are
scanty and meagre. NEW MATERIAL DISCOVERED
2.0
In the year 1992, unprecedented heavy rains lashed at several parts of the Karņāțaka state in general and at Koppaļa in particular, as a result of which a portion of the Old-Fort at Koppaļa collapsed. Surprisingly enough, a hoard of inscriptions on slabs and pillars, about 70 in number fell out of the Fort-Wall. Curiously, all of these inscriptions, without a single exception, are Jaina epigraphs, that too niśidhikas, which throw fresh light on the apropos of Koppala as a Jaina seat.
2.1
It was my fortune that I could take out an estampage of all these new epigraphs, decipher the script, read the text,

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2.2
3.0
-
edit all the inscriptions and publish it for the first time [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 1998-A]. I have carefully studied these inscriptions in the context of Nirgrantha tradition and other available contemporaneous supporting evidences, before passing my considered judgements.
Preamble / 3
The epigraphs under discussion speak abundantly for the powerful and pervasive influence wielded by Jainism. The present discovery add fresh material, augmenting the mass of the already known information and thus will help to revise the supposedly well established facts, positions and postulates. These inscriptions endorse that Koppal was a place of purity par excellence, eloquently speak of the monks, nuns and lay disciples of various ascetic orders, who constantly conducted their religious sermons, and who ended their life by the rite of sanyasana. A whole array of these charters provide lot of information about some pontiffs who wielded enoromous spiritual influence on the society, particularly the royal laity affiliated to Jainism.
2.2.1 These inscribed memorial columns have a special place in the ethos of Jaina culture and tradition, and a unitying effect so vital to the religious history of Jainism, depicting more succinctly the quintescence of syādvāda. Their majesty, even in ruins, bear testimony to the glory of the past. With this new addition, Koppal is replete with nisidhikas post-mortem memorial stones, giving details of the purpose for which they are set up. Some of them have a caityālaya motif, and in some a typical three-umbrella motif is visible. There are also certain significant socio-historical and cultural issues involved. This corpus throws light on the status of the lay-adherents in Jainism, which can be compared with the status of the lay people in Buddhism [Ahir, D.C.: 1996].
CHRONOLOGICAL SPAN
These new epigraphs belong to different period, covering a wide range of five centuries from 9th to 13th cent. C.E.,

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4 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
and prove beyond doubt that Koppa!a served for ten centuries as the primary location of disseminating Jaina teachings of non-injury.
RELIGION
4.0
As already mentioned in paragraph 2.0., all the new records without any exception belong to Jainism, and they are all nisidhi memorials which serve as an authentic vestige of Jaina faith. There are only very few casual references to any particular primordial works of canonical nature, but regular apostles of Jaina church are remembered, and a number of friars and preceptors are mentioned. Koppa! itself was a big friary centre for Jainas and particularly a strong hold of Yāpaniyas. The present Koppa!a hoard also provides reliable and useful information about some of the friars and cohorts of the Yāpaniya ecclesiastical institution. So much new material is avialable for reconstructing the hagiography of some Jaina ācāryas which speak of the virtues of sterner monastic order. Asceticism was honoured, its votaries had strong belief in the cycle of birth and rebirth, the effects of karma in successive births.
A rigorous and restrained life helps the lay person to lead a life of self-help and of least dependence on society. Monastic life is not an escape but an attempt to achieve the highest purpose of human life. The community of disciples called the srāvaka sangha, four catagories of disciples, unflinchingly and resolutely applied themselves to their own good. They did not seek outside of their faith for any relief or support, did not believe in luck or omen. They developed wisdom which lead to the cessation of suffering and realisation of mokşa, released. They practised charity, generosity and alms giving to the deserving; lived for the welfare of both themselves and of others.
POLITICAL HISTORY
5.0
Main purport of these new epigraphs is not to deal with the political affairs. Albeit, the present collection affords casual

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Preamble / 5
references to the towering personalities of the principal ruling families of Karnāšaka, the Gangas being the main dynasty. Though the kings were duty bound to support all religions, their active patronage of a particular faith could also be marked.
5.1
A pro-Jaina dynasty, the western Gangas had equal respect for other religious sects. Under their protection and patronage, Jainism flourished without let or hindrance. The Gangas declared their devotion to Jainism from the beginning, took the role of saviour. The Gangas were born to protect jinadharmma of the Kailāsa mountain: Kaiļāsa - Śaila jinadharmma suraksaņārtham (EC. Vol. VIII-I (BLR) Shimoga No. 10. C.E. 1085. p. 19. line: 7]. Kailasa olim Aştāpada is sacred to Jainas because Rşabha, the first Tirthankara, attained nirvana, release from bondage, on the summit of Mount Kailāsa (Nirvāna-bhakti). As a consequence, that was the period of Jaina ascendancy, and it became a dominant creed in Karnataka in all walks of life. Thus, the Gangas made signal contribution to the theory and practice of Jainism.
5.1.1 Historians, while discussing, the controversy regarding the
authenticity of some of the Ganga copper plates, have by and large accepted that most of them are geniune records. Besides a large number of copper plates, there are some stone epigraphs found at different places (Ramesh, K.V. (ed.) 1984). Albeit, nowhere, uptill the present discovery, the number of the Ganga inscriptions exceed a score and more. A close perusal of the present epigraphical references clearly establish, substantiate and corraborate the credibility of Jaina oriented statements in early copper plates. Hence, much weight will be attached to the historical information of these charters.
5.2
A large number of mendicant and their lay followers constituted a significant force at Koppa!. Jains held an easy access to the machinery of political power. Koppala was echoing the voice of samavasarana, assembly of listeners. Ahimsa banners were fluttering atop temples and friaries. Integration of upāsakas, lay followers, of all ranks into the

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6/ Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
religious life, is transparent in the nisidhi inscriptions now discovered. A strong organised body of the lay-followers maintained the spirit and the existence of Jaina church. The frairs and nuns were active in propogating the tentents of Jaina creed is evident from the fact that a majority of these epigraphs speak of religious preceptors.
LITERATURE
6.1
Tenth and 11th centuries were an epoch making era of staunch advocates of Anekäntamata, in all walks of life including political, social, religious and cultural sphere. A cursory glance at the preseni collection of new charters is enough to substantiale il.
6.1.1 Besides, the period between tenth and 12th cent. C.E. is
charcaterised by great literary activities. Most of the major Kannada campu epics and other classics, embodying the lives of salakapurusas, jaina great persons were written during this period. It is under the stimulus of Jainism that remarkable advances were registered in art, architecture, sculpture and painting. Religious impulse overflowed into the numerous branches of knowledge which resulted in a tremendous cultural impact on Karnāțaka.
6.2
Most of the new inscriptions are not lengthy records; on an average, the number of lines in each inscription is around 25. Though the language of most of the epigraphs is Kannada, the regional language of Karnātaka, there are some Sanskrit inscriptions also. These epigraphs look heterogenous from the point of view of style; yet, there is a common accepted standard pattern, as far as the subject matter is concerned. Its language and style is cast in an archaic mould containing some verses also. Some of the inscriptions vouchsafe the genius of those who composed them. who had a sound knowledge of the Jaina tradition and the skill of poetry and prosody.
6.3
Many of these inscriptions contain Jaina invocatary verses, but none of them contain any imprecatory lines. Because, these are all nisidhi memorials and not endowments.

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7.0
7.1
7.2
7.3
Medieval Jainism in Karnataka saw stormy centuries. The alien Colas and the local Śaivaites demolished Jinälayas and monasteries, ransacked its treasures. Therefore, the strong walls of Nirgrantha fort was hit hard. With all this devastation, Jainism had a saving grace, and an innate strength to sustain and thrive elsewhere. What remains today in and around Koppala is scattered ruins, which are like picture book, to recall the significant events of the past history, of the syādvāda ecumene in ancient Karnataka.
Preamble/7
It is rather difficult to fix the exact date of the destruction of Jaina temple and niśidhi columns at Koppala. It is equally difficult to say whether the destruction was the result of a single catastrophe or of a whole series of incidents. But, it is neither the callousness nor the catastrophe of art-robbers that is responsible for the disappearence and physical ruin of significant irreplaceable art historical evidence. The only reliable hint for the dilapidation and final annihilation of the Jaina monuments is from the statement made in a Persian inscription [AREP 1963-64. No. 173. 1779 C.E.], which states that the main fort at Koppala was constructed, in the shape of a battery in the European fashion along with two gateways; one more epigraph in a chronogram which records the date of the construction of a burj [bastion] in the year 1785-86 C.E. [ibid, No. 174] also endorses it.
These two records help us to surmise that a complete or final destruction of the then existing Jaina monuments, including the present post-mortem memorial stones, took place during the last two decades of eighteenth century. Obviously the fort-builders started their scandalous operations of constructing the bastion, with material taken away from Jaina temples. Besides, callousness on the part of the masionary was so much that they have cut and broken the art pieces recklessly.
The following chapters will focus on the varied dimensions of the new discovery.

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Chapter 2 KOPPAĻA THROUGH AGES
The eminence and prominence of Koppaļa, a district headquarters in Karnataka state, with a population of more than fifty thousand, and its surroundings, go back to two thousand and five hundred years. Its prolonged and opulent history takes off from the time of Asoka, the great Mauryan emperor, who ably and wisely ruled from north and south, in third cent. B.C. The town Koppa!a looks like a loving child sitting pretty on the lap of the huge rocky hillocks in close proximity. Pālkigundu, a hillock so named, which is bigger than others in size, is to the west of the town, Bahaddūru Baņdegudda to the south, Gavimatha hill range to the east, and in between stands the hillock with a fort. The huge rock boulders have been an abode of peace and penance for several centuries, and silently witnessed the wax and wane of various cultures, religion and royal dynasties.
There are a good number of lithic records, revealing the glory that is gone, singing the saga of success, heroic verse and chewing the sweet fancies of the past. Koppaļa has traversed the long span of twenty four hundred years by sitting pretty on the shoulders of history. Dalmen, of the period of stone-age, found on the Māli Mallappagudda, a hill to the west of the Pālkigundu (gundu 'the round bigboulder'), are termed as the 'Morera angadi' [the shops of the Mauryas?].
Koppala had its distinction, as early as third cent. B.C. when the emperor Asoka preferred to cause two of rock edicts here, which are referred as the Gavimatha and Pālkigundu minor rock edicts, carved out in Brāhmi script, composed in the Prākrit dialect. So far as the written documents are concerned, there is a gap of eight hundred years after the minor rock edict of Asoka. Albeit, from seventh century onwards an uninterrupted inscriptional evidence uncoil the history of Koppala, and Kannada, language and script, starts speaking loudly, never to look back. Apart from Prakrit and Kannada epigraphs, there are also Sanskrit (written in Kannada script) and Persian charters, the latter being of post-medieval period, mostly of seventeenth and eighteenth cent. In short, these lithic records provide an authentic material to re

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Koppa!a through ages/9
construct the history of Koppa!a in particular and Karnataka in general.
The fact that Koppala enjoyed both excellence and popularity through ages, is richly illustrated by the different forms of the place name. Koppa!a has also the following variants as recorded in inscriptions and literary works - Kopaņa, Kupaņa, Kupiņa, Koppal, Koppa and Kuppa, all referring to one and the same place. Besides, with the affixation of Sanskrit suffix of -pura and-nagara, both meaning a town, the place name Kopana takes the form of Kopaņapura and Kopananagara; with a Sanskrit suffix of -adri and -acala, both meaning a hill, Kopana takes the form of Kopaņādri and Kopaņācala, suggesting the hill at Kopaņa; with the Sanskrit suffix of -tirtha, a free morpheme meaning an holy place of pilgrim, Kopana takes the form of Kopana-tirtha. Yuan Chwang (C.E. 635-43), a traveller from China, has referred to Kopanapura as Konkinapulo (Rice B.L: EC.V. "Intro" p. 15. Burnell. IA, VIII, pp. 145-46; Fleet, 1A. XXIII. p.28 etc.). The two variants, Kopaņācala and Kopaņādri, are the conventional names mostly used in Jaina tradition. These two nomen evidently suggest the geographical position of the place, particularly the Jaina hillock. Since different toponym contribute to ambiguous situation, only Koppaļa', the approved official place name, is used in this monograph.
LITERARY SOURCES
An interesting testimony given by Srivijaya (C. 830-60 C.E.), author of Kavirajamārga (C. 850 A.D.), and a poet laureate of Amoghavarşa-1 (814-75), the Rāșțrakūța emperor who had Nrpatunga as his first name, has recorded the range and principal seats of Karnātaka, where Kannada was the language of the people and administration. According to him, the vast area in between the two rivers of Kāveri in the extreme south and Godāvari in the outermost north, is the fertile Kannada country, the Karnātaka, where the people speaking Kannada language live merrily:
adaro!agam kisuvoļalā vidita mahā kopananagaradā puligereya sadabhistutamapponkun dada naduvaņa nāde nāde kannadada tiru! || [Srivijaya: Kavirājamārga, C. 850 C.E., canto-1. Verse. 37]

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10/Jaina Corpus of Koppala
In the Karnataka country, famous cities are, Kisuvolal olim Paṭṭadakal near Aihole, the well known great Kopanagara (the modern Koppala), Puligere olim Lakṣmeśvara, the highly praised Onkunda or Okkunda near Palasige (the modern Halsi), a residence of Banavāsi Kadambas, and the area in the midst of these towns is the quintessence of Kannada country, because these are the boundaries of the well of the plithy Kannada undefiled. This statement of Kavirājamārga ('poets avenue') confirms the state wide recognition of Kopaṇanagara as a leading city in the early ninth century.
While Śrīvijaya has registered the political and cultural aspect of Kopaṇanagara in placing it on par with other contemporary cities, Ranna (C. 950-1010), another Jaina author and a poetlaureate of the Calukya court, a protege of Attimabbe has brilliantly portrayed the sacrosanct picture of Kopana hill:
biliyaraleyante gangā
jaladantesevajitasena munipatiya guṇā
valiyante negalḍa kopaṇā
caladante pavitram attimabbeya caritam II
[Ranna, C.E. 993. Ajitapurāņa tilakam, canto-12, verse. 6.]
While eulogising the impeccable virtues of his patron Attimabbe, an unparalleled lady stalwart in the Calukya kingdom, poet Ranna has made use of some similies: the life of Attimabbe was immaculate like the white cotton, the holy water of the river Gangā, the merits of the chief abbot Ajitasena, and the farfamed Kopaṇa hill.
Kopana has been a centre of pilgrimage for all faiths; it is a living example of preching and practicing the age old policy of unity in diversity. Jainism, Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism, Islam all the other religions, irrespective of major or minor, have lived by and large in harmony.
Koppala was under the rule of many a royal dynasties such as the Bādāmi Calukyas, the Gangas, the Rāṣṭrakūtas, the Kalyana Calukyas, the Hoysala and the Vijayanagara kingdom. Later, some muslim minor dynasties also ruled the region of

-

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Koppaļa through ages/11
Koppa!a. A firece battle between Ahavamalla Trailokyamalla Someśvara I (1042-68) and Rajendra, with his elder brother as the first leader of the Coļa army, was fought at Koppaļa (Tamil. Koppam) in the year C.E. 1053-54. Though the war was initially favourable to the Cālukyas, in the final analysis it turned out to be fatal to them and the Coļas carne out victorious [S11.111. 55; S11.VII.827; El.XII.pp.296 ff; Sastry, K.A.N.: A History of South India: 1958:178]. But, J.F. Fleet and S.H. Ritti are of the opinion that Kuppam is the modern Khidreśvara near Kolhāpur.
ĀDI MAHĀ TĪRTHA KȘETRA
Though Koppaļa has given shelter to all religions, it has been more generous to Jainism ab initio. Lithic records of proper Koppala and of some other places, and literary works, have in one voice eulogised Koppala as a nerve seat of Nirgrantha faith, for several centuries. A bird's eye view is sufficient to establish the fact, that the path traversed by anenkāntamata at Koppaļa, is scintillating and glitters throughout, upto to the end of sixteenth cent., after which Koppala friary passed into political limbo. Jains virtually lost the grip, and the hillocks ceased to be the hub of Nirgrantha faith. In time scale, the creative phase of Jaina church begins in about seventh cent. and ends in 16th cent., when it reached a stage of stagnation and breakdown.
Hullarāja, the Hoysa!a treasurer, general and a minister visited the Mahā-tirtha, the greatest pilgrimage centre, made ideal and permanent arrangement for feeding the twenty four congregation of the Jaina monks, and thus earned greater merits for himself. [EC. 11(R) SB. 476 (345). A.D. 1159, p. 289. lines: 4345]. Of the four crore assemblage of the summit of the mountain, Kopaņa-tirtha had earned the distinction of being the excellent, where the friar Vaçdācārya bratipati was far superior to the monk Nemideva in penance (EC. VII-I (BLR) Sh. 64. 1112].
Pious and philonthropic laity were always on their toes to cause the acts of religious merit at Kopaņa. Ēciraja dandanāyaka built a number of Jain temples at Kopaņa, an Adi-Tirtha, the original and an old, holy seat of Jains (EC. 11(R) SB. 532 (384) C. 12th cent. A.D. Jinanāthapura. p. 328, lines: 27-29]. For Eciraja and also for Gangaraja mahādandanāyaka, of surpassing excel

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12/Jaina Corpus of Koppala
lence and the best of generals of the Hoysala kingdom, Kopana was a source of inspiration. Gañgarāja, in particular, built new basadis and renovated old ones on a large scale, in such a way that he made the province of the Gangavāḍi - 96000 appear like another Kopana [EC. 11(R) SB 156 (127). C.E. 1115. p. 98. lines: 168-71; EC.IX (R) BI. 389. 1133. p. 355, lines: 41-42]. The above statements establish the popularity that Koppala enjoyed.
SEPULCHRAL HILL
Kopana hill was evidently considered a holy place for death by starvation, on par with the other major centre, Sravanabelagola. Thus Kopaṇādri olim Kopaṇācala or Kopaṇagiri, is basically a sepulchral hill; the obitum slabs and columns in the present corpus are the replica of sepulchre. Jaina mendicants used to spend the last days of their spiritual sojourn in retired seclusion, if possible in the rock-cut caverns, lonely places and temples. Koppala, luckily provided all this and a lot more. Naturally, friars and nuns of Jaina order flocked Kopaṇa-tirtha. With hundreds of devotees and other members of the four-fold congregation of the sect, Koppala looked like a tiny Nirgrantha world.
Kumārasenamunipa, chief of the friars of Candrikāvāțasenānvaya, practiced severe vows, as sharp as the razor's edge, after accepting renunciation at Mulgunda, equally a major seat of Jaina settlement in Gadag district, at a distance of about 45 kms from Koppala. But, later the monk retired to Kopaṇādri, a far holier sepulchral hill, and breathed his last according to scriptural prescriptions of samādhi-maraṇa, attained liberation, and it was all unique on his part [Cāvuṇḍaraya puraṇa, C.E. 978, Verse 15; Fleet, JBBRAS, X-XXX, pp. 167-69; EI. XIII, pp. 190 f; Desai, P.B., Candrikāvāṭada Yatigaļu, (Kannada article in), Kannada Sahitya Pariṣat Patrike for 1951, pp. 41-60].
Nāgasena, Kumārasena, Vīrasena and Candrasena, all the four monks practiced severe penance and enhanced the glory of Jaina doctrine of the four-fold synod. Virasena was learned pupil of the pontiff Kumärasena, the latter was a confrere of Āryasena. Komārasena bhaṭṭāra, mentioned in an epigraph of late ninth cent. is identical with Kumārasena, the ascetic under discussion [EC. VI (R) Pāṇḍavapura. 16 C. 9th-10th cent. Kyātanahalli (Mandya dt. Pāṇḍavapura tk) p. 114]. Kumārasena is mentioned in an epi

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Koppa!a through ages / 13
graph from Balasore (Orissa state). Ugraditya (C.E. 820) has mentioned the names of Srinandi, Kumārasena, Virasena, Siddhasena, Daśarathaguru and Pätrasvāmi. The tradition continued on candrämabande, the huge boulder at Koppala, its nomen derived from the name of Candranātha alias Candraprabha, the eigth Tirthankara, builder of the ford and the omniscient spiritual teacher prophet of the Jainas, for a thousand years without any let.
Kaļvappu olim Kaļbappu is a native Kannada word which means 'a hill of the dead', i.e., a sepulchral hill, where the sepulture customs take place. The Kannada (Dravidian) place name Kaļvappu was Sanskritized as Katavapra. Kopana olim Kupiņa and the popular usage Kopp!a, is said to have been derived from kuppe (hill, heap, elevated spot) + ane (situation, direction) signifying its location on a hill top [Saletore: 1938: 187]; considering Kuppal, Koppal, Toppal as the variants or cognates, the etymology of the place name suggests that it was 'a place on the slopes'; but, the local hills were used for sacred death.
There were similar sepulchral hills in the ancient times, such as Mohenjadaro which means an hill of the dead. VäsupujyaJinālaya at Campānagara (Bihar state) is referred to, in the early text, the Vasudevahindi of Sanghadāsagani-Vācaka (C. 5th cent. C.E.), as nisihikāyataņa in Prakrit (Sk. nisidhikayatana), which means 'a place of holy death’. Considering these and similar instances, it can safely be said that the hills at Koppaļa, particularly the Candrāma-bande, were the sepulchral hills, which the Jaina tradition held as sacred for death by starvation. The present corpus of Koppala inscriptions substantiate the above fact. THE GANGAS AND KOPPAĻA
The history of Jainism is part and parcel of the history of Karnataka and it cannot be studied in isolation. The history of Jainism is an integral, and not the least interesting part of the history of Karnataka. Karnataka is one of the oldest inhabited regions by the Nirgrantha cult with pre-Aryan elements in it. For an active expansion and continuation of this transmarine movement, Karnataka provided a bedrock base. The flourishing period of Jainism started in the south around the very beginning of the current Era. It blossomed into full bloom with the sustained refuge

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14 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
of the early Gangas, the early Kadambas of Banavasi, and the early Cālukyas of Bädāmi, the three coeval dynasties, and it reached its apogee during the reign of the Rāştrakūtas.
Gangavādi had the reputation of being the land of Jaina temples. Gangarāja, great general of Vişnuvardhana, had the distinction of renovating and making jaina shrines of Gangavādi region shine again and look afresh. Though, the political stamp of the Gangas is found throughout Karnataka, its religious affiliation is strongly felt at certain centres. For instance, Annigere, Hombuja, Kogali, Koppala, Mandali-Thousandnad, Puligere, Śravanabelagola and Talkād were major religious pilgrimage centres for the Gangas. SB, Mandalinad, Hombuja and Talkād were within the Gangavādi-96,000 province, where as Anņigere and Puligere were in the two-three hundred principality of Beļvola-300 and Puligere-300; Kogaļi and Koppaļa were on the border of it. Durvinita alias Nirvinita (C. 555-605] had caused one of the earliest of the Sarvatobhadra olim caturmukha temple at the Koga!itirtha, which was subsequently renovated by the famous friar Indrakirtimunindra (SII. IX-i No. 117. 1055; Nagarajaiah, Hampa: Candrakode: p. 87].
An indigenous race, the Gangas had cultivated their affiliation to SB in the south, and to Kogali in the north, as early as the period of the Cālukyas of Bādāmi. Like any other dynasty or kingdom, history of the Gangas has its wax and wane. When everything was going well from mid third cent. to mid tenth cent. A.D., in favour of the wishes of the Gangas, all of a sudden, the wheel of fortune turned its axile. A vassal under the Rāştrakūtas, TailapaII (973-97), a mahāsāmanta of Tardavādi, ceased the opportunity, nailed the Rāştrakūța coffin with a crushing blow, and throned himself as the emperor of the renewed Calukya kingdom in C.E. 973. Mārsimhā 11 (961-73), who led the Gangas to greater heights of glory, after his defeat in the last month of the year 973 at Mānyakheta, the royal residence, retreated with Indra IV, the dethroned Rāșțrakūta king.
On his way back from Mānyakheta, Mārasimha stayed at Bańkāpura, formally installed Indrā-IV on the throne at Bankāpura itself, and accepted the vow of sallekhanā, thining one's own body and passions, administered by his preceptor Ajitasena ācārya,

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Koppaļa through ages / 15
and gained emancipation for his body in the beginning of A.D. 974 [EC.(R) 65 (59). 974. p. 23]. For Indra-IV, misfortunes had come in battallions; under the advice of Ajitasena ācārya, the rājaguru, Indra proceeded to SB, erected the (kūge) Brahmmadeva pillar of eminence in memory of Mārasimha, stayed at Indranahalli named after him near SB. For nearly eight years of agony and introspection, listening to the religious sermons at the Jaina-Matha, and finally died in C.E. 982 on the sepulchral hill olim Candragiri by the rite of Ārādhanā vidhi [EC. 11(R) SB. 163 (133). 5-3-982; pp. 106-09).
With the death of Mārasimha, the Gangas almost vanquished into a state of political limbo. Most of the dignitories who survived the calamity and catostrophe, reached enmass to Koppala, accepted the vows of monkhood and nunhood, and gradually and willingly submitted to the inevitable death, one by one. Padmāvati, Revakanimmadi, consorts of Būtuga II (935-61); Kundanasāmidevi and Bijjāmbika, daughters of Būtuga; Cangambā, wife of Rājāditya, a scion of Cālukya and son of the sister of Būtuga; Kañcabbarasi, wife of Rajamall-IV (c. 974-84), son of Bütuga; Gonambe, wife of Ajavarma and daughter of Ereganga - died at Koppala. A number of charters provide a prolegomena to the diaspora of the Gangas, a study of which confirms the fact that wherever they went, they have commissioned basadis. The path traversed by the Gangas from Kuvalālapura to Talavanapura, from Mandalinād to Koppala, from fourth to the end of eleventh cent. can be traced, and their vestiges at the far flung Jaina centres can be established [Nagarajaiah, Hampa; the early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism: 1999). Besides, a good number of the friars and nuns of the Ganga dynasty, also have preferred to die by the rite of sallekhanā at Koppala, and their laics have caused the post obitum records for the merit of the deceased.
ABODE OF JAINA TEMPLES
Koppa!a has the distinction of being a treasury of Jaina vestiges and an abode of a good number of basadis. During the days of its highest splendour, Koppaļa looked like a bivouac of basadis. Apart from its legitamate claim as ādi-tirtha and mahā-tirtha, Koppala also had the distinction of containing many Jaina mon

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16 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
asteries. According to the local legend, at one time there were not less than 772 Jaina shrines. It is because of this amazing number of basadis that Koppala assumed greater importance and sprang into fame as a mahā-tirtha. Since it was one of the earliest places associated with Jaina monachs and monasteries, it had the distinction of being an ādi-tirtha also. Added to this, if somebody were to construct a marvellous basadi, anywhere in Karnāțaka, immediate reaction of the laity and patriachs would be, 'ah! It now looks like Kopaņa-tirtha!', and such was the grandeur of basadis at Koppa!
But all that is a part of past history. What remains to-day at Koppaļa are a bare skeleton of the bygone days. Almost all the basadis, except the Candranātha basadi, also called the Pārsvanātha basadi, in the premises of the fort, are destroyed. Some names of the basadis that once existed here, are mentioned in the inscriptions:
Attimabbarasi basadi Arasiya basadi Candranātha basadi Cattaga basadi Dannāyaka basadi Jayadhira - Jinālaya Kuća Jinālaya Nāgadevana basadi Neminātha Jinālaya Pärsvanatha basadi Puşpadanta Jinālaya Sāntaladevi basadi śāntinātha basadi Timambarasiya basadi (?)
Of the above basadis, Jayadhira Jinālaya was caused by Sankaraganda, a feudatory under the Rāştrakūtas, a patron of surpassing excellence, who built Jaina monasteries elsewhere also including Kollipāke. Ranna (C.E. 993) poet - laureate in the court of Tailappa-|| (973-97) and his son Satyāśraya Isivabedanga (997-1008), the Cālukya emperors, has eulogised Sankaraganda, along with Būtuga-11 (935-61), his sons Maru!adeva and Mārasimha-11 (961-73), Cāmuṇdarāya and Dānacintāmaņi

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Koppaļa through ages/17
Attimabbe, the best of persons in tenth century, who rendered marvellous acts of merit for the propoganda and protection of Nirgrantha church (Ajita Purāṇam, canto-12, verse-9]. Brahmaśiva (C. 1170 A.D.), another poet-laureate in the Cālukya kingdom, states that Śankaraganda built nonpareil Jaina temples at the town (Koppa!a) that made the silver mountains dwarf [Samaya Parikşe, canto-l, verse-37).
Daņņāyakana basadi, a temple built by the general, near the modern Danakana (an abridged version of the nomen Daņņāyaka) bavi, a dilapidated well full of stone walls. If this well and walls are excavated and dismantled, it is definitely going to yield further fresh material. Regarding Pārsvanātha basadi, it should be noted that, two of the Jina-Pārsva images of Koppa!a are preserved in Salar Jung museum of Hyderabad [MAR. 1916. p.83; Krishnamacharlu, C.R: 1935: No. 9]. Of the two, the one with an inscription engraved on its pedestal, has Arhat Päráva in the centre in Kāyotsarga, dismissing the body posture, and in the aureola (tiruvāci, nimbus) going round the image are represented 23 other Tirthankaras in miniature; and in the lower portion are the jinasāsanadevas, the two attendent figures of Dharaṇa on the right and Padmāvatidevi on the left. There are two cauris on both side of Pārsva Jina, a seven hooded canopy and above it a triple umbrella, (SK. chatra-traya; Ka. mukkode), symbolising the Arhat as the supreme master of the three world.
Regarding the nomen of Timambarasiya basadi, there is a different reading; while giving the boundaries of a gift entrusted into the hands of the aruvadimbar, the sixty elders, the record refers to lands belonging to the basadi of Attimabbarasi (AREP 1963-64 No. 381. p. 94]. In which case, early reading of P.B. Desai [Sāsana Paricaya, No. 18 vide K. 81 in Koppaļa Säsanagaļu: 1998-A: 178] stands corrected. The corrected form of Attimabbarasi stands to reason in the sense that Attimabbe lived not too far away from Koppaļa. She lived at Lakkundi near Koppaļa and constructed an astonishing figure of 1501 temples at different places [SII. xi-i, 52. 1007]. Hence it is but expected that she built a basadi at Koppaļa, the Ādi and mahā-tirtha, and endowed
it.

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18 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
A basadi in the name of Sāntaladevi is generally attributed to śāntaladevi, the chief crown queen of the Hoysala Vişnuvardhana; but, in the absence of any corroborative evidence, it is not that certain to identify the lady.
There are quite a good number of Jaina-tirthas as mentioned in the inscriptions of Karnataka (Nagarājaiah, Hampa: Śāsangaļalli Tirthagaļu: 1998-B]. Among such holy places of pilgrimage, SB and Koppa!a have a unique place of antiquity and honour; the present corpus is a solid proof and an authentic testimonial to the inexorable sacrosanct honour that Koppa!a enjoyed for centuries.

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Chapter 3 THEME AND AIM OF THE EPIGRAPHS
Koppaļa the epigraphs primarily emphasise the monastic way of life as superior and hence desirable to the mundane life. To renounce the life of a householder and to adopt the life of recluse, Jaina canons have a traditional prescription of initiation. The novice desirous of renouncing the terrestrial interests, should first seek the willingness of the elders, the kith and kin in the family. Rite of initiation into the monastic order marks the end of worldly life, family responsibility and social obligations. The entrant, after initiation into the monastic order, is generally given a new name by the preceptor.
Jaina 'asceticism is manifested in many ways, but emblematic of its uncompromising severity - in the public eye and in reality - is the fact that death by starvation (sallekhana) is enshrined as one of Jainism's highest ideals' [Lawrence A. Babb: 1998:2]. Consistent with the Jaina view of the moral suspectness of eating, death by self starvation is one of the highest spiritual ideals among the Jainas. Among Digambaras, with whom the practice is known as sallekhanā, such a death is apparently expected of ascetics (Carrithers: 1989:224). Among Svetāmbars the practice is called santhāra, and seems to be less common than among Digambaras (Cort 1991-B: 152-53; L.A. Babb: 1998:60] .Jaina canons have given a high place for sallekhanā as an act of acquiring religious merit. Anyone, of the four categories of the disciples, can opt for voluntry submission to the inevitable. Self-sacrifice of the body by fasting, is the willing choice of wise. Spiritual cultivation, considered as the highest virtue, in order to gain enlightenment, revolves round the extinction of life-affirming will of convulsively clinging to existence. The individual, who has earned the right to die in peace in full possesion of his faculties, allows his life to ebb away at its own natural peace, without a desire to prolong or anticipating unduly his demise. Sallekhanā is not euthanasia or suicide [Tukol, T.K: 1976).
Sallekhanā is a process of death by the ritual fasting as prescribed by the religion (Ārādhanã (Śivakoți); Uttarādhyana; Ratnakaranda-Srāvakācāra (Samantabhadra); Yaśastilaka

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20 / Jaina Corpus of Koppala
(Somadevasūri)]. This self-mortification is usually designated as sallekhanā (Pk. sallehanā), or samādhimarana, or sanyāsa maraņa or sakāma-marana or panditamarana or santhāra or sanyasana; in Kannada the word mudipu is used. Sallekhanā is a willing submission to death, undertaken only by a public declaration and never in private, without any love or hatred against anybody, living or dead. Samādhi is also meditation unto death. After voluntarily accepting vow of sallekhanā, and adopting the prescribed posture of reclining, one should renunciate all the worldly belongings by thought, word and deed, and only concentrating on happily relinquishing this mundane world by fasting unto death. This process of concentration leads to, not only gain complete control over the senses but also to, a gradual destruction of the human body. S. Settar has dealt the subject of Sallkehanā at length, tracing its history and its significance, with appropriate illustrations (Settar S: 1. Inviting Death: 1989 and 2. Pursuing Death: 1990]
Memorial stones are erected to commemorate the holy death of such persons, whether he or she is a revered saint or a lay disciple. Such commemorative called nisidhis, are usually engraved on rock columns. Hundreds of post-mortem (nisidhi) monuments carved and attractively sculptured, are found throughout length and breadth of Karnataka. Among the outstanding centres, where a good number of free-standing nisidhi pillars with inscriptions are found, mention should be made of Sravanabelago!a, Hombuja and now, ofcourse with this publication, Koppaļa.
Only carved and sculptured columns, free-standing pillars, chiselled to divine beauty of a temple shape, the crowning portion of nisidhi pillar, caityālaya motif boulder memorial, carved in honour of the friars who voluntarily terminated their lives are found at Koppa!. Except the four records of Jatāsimhanandi muni, Srimatu gurugaļaśile, Sri Kanaka Bhiman and a nisidhi of Candappa noticed earlier, no other post obitum commemorative record engraved on the two huge rock-bed at Koppal, is found; to be more precise such a record has not come to my notice. There are some footprints, supposed to be of Jaina monks.
This corpus throws light on the laity and on the condition of lay worhsippers. A strong organised body of the lay-followers

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Theme and aim of the epigraphs /21
maintained the spirit and the existence of Jaina church at Koppala. The frairs and nuns were active, in propogating the tenets of the faith, is evident from the fact that a majority of the mortifications were done at the instance of the religious preceptors. Idol worship was firmly established among Jains, as far back as second cent. B.C.
In Koppaļa Jaina ascetics encouraged the laity to cause images and temples of Jina. Preaching the misery stricken world, the way of salvation and eternal happiness, Jaina seers walked barefooted, from one end to the other. A missionary zeal was very much vibrant in the Kopaņa-tirtha. Very many laics embraced the life of renunication, by giving up everything that was dear to them, with a spontaneous impulse of seclusion from the rest of the society. A rigorous and restrained life helps the lay person to lead a life of self-help and of least dependence on society. Some even went to the extent of mortification of the body, a flight from the world in persuit of a higher spiritual ideal, to reach the state of summum bonum, the chief good.
Nirvāņa (nibbāņa - 'extinction') is a pure, stable and holy state of enlightenment, contentment and peace. Therefore, prescription for attainment of the original pure nature of the soul (Pk. attā. SK. ātma) is the dissipation (niriara) of passions (kasăva) and stoppage (samvara) of the influx of kārmic (äsrava) atoms or particles (pudgala). This philosophy is illustrated with a classic example of [Nāyādhamma Kahāo. 6], a dry gourd covered with mud, shooting up gradually to the surface of water, due to loosening of mud-coating, the kārmic bondage. Therefore, the purity is to be achieved by right faith (samyak darśana), Ro-knowledge (50-jñāna) and Ro-conduct (So-cāritra). The Jaina canonical texts go eloquent in describing the outcome of the triad, mokṣa.
Mokşa is described as without decay (ajara), without death (amara), permanent (akşaya), of incomparable happiness (anupama sukha) [Mūlācāra: 12, 145], holy (Sivam), stable (acala), eternal (ananta), devoid of misery (avyābādha) and from which there is no return (Aupapātika: p.46]. Christianity explains that moksa is the grace of God, and there is no stress on rebirth: death is a punishment and not a step towards better or worse life; death takes one either to hell or heaven permanently, in Christi

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anity. Therefore, in Christianity prominence is to the grace or favour of God rather than a scope for human effort. In Jainism, the emphasis is primarily on human effort, and as such there is no scope for the grace of god. To escape from the cycle of birth and rebirth, the laity took to the rigorous life of monk (nun) hood, leading towards liberation.
SPECIAL FEATURES 'A'
There are some rare usages of words, which are of greater significance, in the context of Nirgrantha surrogate tradition:
1.
2.
3.
The ascetic Padmanandi is referred with the cognomen of Jinasamaya-dipaka, the illuminator of Jaina religion [K.15, C.E. 1028. p.51. lines: 25-26.]. Ponna (C.E. 960) and Ranna [C.E. 993], two poet-laureates in the courts of Kṛṣṇa-III (93967) the Rāṣṭrakūța emperor, and of Tailapa-II (974-97) the (Kalyāṇa) Calukya emperor, respectively, are the earliest authors to use this phrase. Later, another charter has mentioned Indrakirtimuni, a pupil of Indranandi Pandita, as a Jina-dharmma-dipaka [SII.XI. 117. 1055. Kogali].
Generally Jaina bhaṭṭārakas do not use the title of jagadguru, where as the abbots of other religion use it. But inscriptional evidences go to approve the usage of the byname jagadguru [K. 23. 11th cent. p. 73]; we come across the title jagadguru in an inscription of SB [EC.II(R) SB, 476 (345) 1159 p. 289].
Similarly the cognomen of Jangama-tirtha, a mobile holy place of worship, is used in K. 16 of tenth cent. Meghacandra Siddhänta Munindra is eulogised as a jangama-tirtha of modern times (ibid. p. 54, line: 15). Another charter has the identical phrase (jangama-tirtha) along with sthavara-tirtha [K. 29 10th cent. p. 84], where the monk Śridharadeva is called a jangama-tirtha, and Koppala the pilgrim centre is called a sthāvara-tirtha, a fixed holy seat.
I have also noticed that some of the verses used in the Koppala inscriptions are found in some epigraphs of other places:

Page #42

1.
2.
3.
ters:
1.
2.
3.
Theme and aim of the epigraphs / 23
A campakamāla vṛtta of K.43 [undated, but last decades of eleventh cent.] lines between 15 and 23, is found.
SPECIAL FEATURES 'B'
4.
5.
a. in the colophon, antima prasasti of the Dhavalā Tikā (C.E. 1113). manuscript.
b. E.C. II (R) SB. 484 (351). C.E. 1119. p. 304 lines: 16-21
c. ibid, SB. 135 (117) C.E. 1123. p. 81. lines: 88-92.
A Mattebhavikriḍita vṛtta verse of K. 15 dated 30-7-1028 (Śaka. 950), which the author of the inscription has composed (lines: 10 to 16), is repeated in a later inscription of Soratur (Gadag dt) [S/I. xi-i. No. 111. C.E. 1071. p. 109, lines: 17 to 19].
A Śardūlavikriḍita vṛtta verse of K. 16, undated but of the period of later 10th cent. (lines: 1 to 8), is repeated in later charters of K. 52 (C.E. 1050, p. 133. lines: 1-3), and K. 62. (C.E. 1031, pp 150-51, lines: 13-17). Above all, in the context of Jaina canonical tradition, this quotation has a unique place. The very verse is verbatem repeated in the Dhavalätika final prasati portion, colophon, copied in the year C.E. 1113. This verse is once again used in an inscription of C.E. 1099 of Huṇasi-Haḍagali, which was a seat of Jaina settlement [KJS: 1996: p. 230].
Some general remarks regarding the nature of these char
Many of these new lithic records contain specific date in the regnal year, facilitating the fixation of the year, and thus they are of immense value to history.
Some are badly damaged; K.10, K. 14, K.20, K.25, K.58.
Some suffer from defective vocabulary and diction, because of the broken letters; K. 34, K. 36, K. 55, K. 63, K. 66.
None of the epigraphs contain the usual imprecatory lines. Invocatory verses/lines are found in some charters; K. 2, K.10, K. 11, K. 23, K. 33, K. 47; but mostly it is absent.

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24 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
A clear preference for prose is obvious, though some inscriptions contain verses of academic excellence.
Except four (K. 20, K. 32, K. 14, K. 34), all other epigraphs are in Kannada language. The distinct preference for Kannada to Sanskrit is quite understandable. These charters were composed at a time when Kannada had gained importance as an official language. Its diction is simple and narrative in style, retaining some of the archaic forms of words and syntactic structure.
9.
All the epigraphs are in Kannada script. Most of the records belong to the period of the Cālukyas of Kalyāņa, who have clearly made known their affiliation to Nirgrantha church.
10.
Almost all the personalities described are devout Jainas who breathed their lost by observing the rite of sallekhanā.
11.
The inscriptions are all post obitum (niśidhika) of either a monk, a nun or a laity, male or female. This fresh information has a stronger and relevant bearing on the history of the later Gangas.
Some Jaina Tirtha kşetras, epicentres of the medieval Karnataka are listed in an inscription; K. 51 of A.D. 1204 (p. 129-30). They are Kolatūr, Lokkigundi, Kupana olim Kopaņa, Bankāpura, Hüli, Kogaļi, Murgunda, Soge, Battakere, Hänugal, Navilgunda, Be!goļa, Bandaņikāpura and Purikara. There are corroborative evidences approving the statement of this epigraph, that all of these places were recognised Jaina seats.
13.
The inscriptions provide a glimpse of the concept of the laity.
14.
These records also confirm that the friars and nuns, after learning and understanding the teachings of the tirthankaras, the Jaina prophets, devoted to preach and establish their master's message (Jinavāņi and Jinaśāsana) in spirit and letter. Thus, by living in deference to the teaching, the monks

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15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Theme and aim of the epigraphs / 25
and nuns were preservers of the teaching, and through them the gospel of the Tirthankaras passed on from generation to generation.
Again, it is these and other powerful and efficacious preceptors, preachers, propagators mainly responsible in mustering the royal patronage to Jainism which was instrumental in the spread of the creed.
Another salient feature of the corpus of Koppala inscriptions is that, the ascetics instrumental in getting the DhavalaTikā copied and preserved to the posterity, were connected to Koppala-tirtha.
Māghanandivrati, a scholar pupil of Meghacandravrati, for whom the queen Mallikabbe and her husband Säntisena alias Sāntinātha got the Mahābandha, a canonical text, copied by Udayaditya, an expert copyist, to commemorate the holy occasion of closing and concluding the observance of Śripañcamivrata, was attached to the Koppala-tirtha.
Following pontiffs, mentioned in the prasasti, colophon portion of Jayadhavala-Ṭikä, are all mentioned in the present corpus of Koppala inscriptions: Padmanandi Siddhanta munindra, Ravicandra, Pūrṇa-candra, Dāmanandi, Maladhari (I and II), Śridharadeva, Nemicandra Maladhari, Candrakirti, Diväkaraṇandi Siddhantadeva (1060-80), his chief pupil Maladhāri Yamina (1080-1100) [his eminent pupil Subhacandra Siddhanti (1100-21) is not mentioned in this corpus].
Still more significant factor is that, some of the verses and prose lines that occur in the colophon of Dhavala-Ṭikā have their source here in the present collection.
Koppala inscriptions also establish the fact that the Jaina patriarchs and preceptors of Koppala had their contacts with the pontiffs at Annigere, Arasiyabiḍi, Kellengere, Kogali, Kollipake, Mulgunda, Soraṭūr, Śravanabelagola and Mandalināḍ, contemporary Jaina settlements which were prominent and thriving well.

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26 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
21.
Some of the lay votaries who did yoemen service for the glory of the faith, known from other sources, figure in the present corpus: Boppa setti, Būtuga, Cāmundarāja, Gangarāja, Madhava, Nimbasāmanta, Recana-dandādhisa, Sankaraganda and such other stalwarts find a place here.
22.
There are other dimensions to these nisidhi charters such as socio-cultural and mythical constituents, which truly measure the dynamics of Jaina community. Caturtha-kula a sub-sect of Jaina church is mentioned in an inscription.
23.
Composers of the lithic records were equally at home in Kannada and Sanskrit (to an extent had a working knowledge of Prakrit) languages. Some of the Jaina Šāsanakaras were simultaneously both scholars and poets; their creative genius is nothing short of a class author.
24.
Common verses (Slokas, Kandas, Vrttas and the prose lines) found in some inscriptions, not only of the same place (e.g. SB), but also of different places (e.g. SB, Koppaļa, Huņaşi-Hadagali, Soratūr, Mandalinād etc), and of various period in temporal terms (e.g. tenth cent., 11th and 12th cent.), speak of the regular training that the composers had.
25.
Those who authored the epigraphs had a thorough knowledge of the Jaina background, well acquainted with the dogmas, well-bred in similar compositions. Their skill in poetic composition of religious experiences is remarkable. Some charters are graceful in expression and precise in agama details.
26.
It seems that the famous Jaina seats where Mathas were attached to the basadis, the bhattāraks would impart the required knowledge for the composers of inscriptions. No wonder, if the final composition itself would get corrected before it would go to the hands of the engraver. Udayāditya, the expert copyist of Mahā-Dhavala-Tikā, had acquainted with the SB and Koppala inscriptions. He completed the copying work in the last decades of eleventh century, much earlier to the copying of Jaya Dhavalā Tikā text. Similarly Jinna the copyist of Jaya Dhavalā Tika, who
27.

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28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Theme and aim of the epigraphs / 27
completed it in C.E. 1113, at the Arhat Pārsva temple of Bannikere, caused by perggaḍati Bācaladevi, consort of Bhujabala Ganga Permmāḍideva, mahāmaṇḍaleśvara of Mandali-nāḍ Thousand, had a sound knowledge of Jaina epigraphs of SB, Koppala and Mandalināḍ. Jinna, the copyist, was more versatile and professed equal command over Kannada, Sanskrit and Prakrit.
The traditional rites, rituals and practice have come to stay by means of constant transimission. Such an unbroken testament to the ceaseless flow and fluidity of the Jaina conventions, customs and manners is vividly reflected alive in the present corpus.
Jaina church was grouped in minor units, with a proper set of hierarchy over them, is evident from the mention of various ganas, gacchas, balis and anvayas as is found in many inscriptions.
Antevāsi, antevasini, Śişini - the terms of disciples used here are found as early as in Mathurā epigraphs [second cent. C.E.].
Some of the women of eminence who extended the rigid monastic life for various reasons, are inspired by the similar instances found in Jaina literature;
i. Jayanti, aunt of king Udayana of Kosambi, entered the monastic life [IA. XIX. p. 64].
ii. Khemā, spouse of Bimbasara, on seeing the vision of fading youth, dispelled all her pride for beauty and entered the ascetic order [IA. VII. p. 50].
iii. Paumāvai, queen of Dahivāhana, king of Campā, an account of seperation from her spouse, became a nun [Uttaradhyana Ṭika].
Maladhāri, as a monastic appellation, has gained a wide currency among southern Nirgrantha tradition. The succession of the spiritual teachers available here is reliable, and there are corroborative epigraphs elsewhere.

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28 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
Jinna: A connoisseur of Koppaļa
Jinna, the nonpareil copyist of Dhavalā Tika, a Sanskrit commentary on Satkhandāgama. The primordial canonical text in Prakrit, of the adept Virasenācārya, was copied by a certain Jinna of Kupaņa. Virasena, of Pancastūpānvaya, completed his commentary in C.E. 816. Perhaps for the first time it was again copied in C.E. 1113, at the Arhat Pārśva caityālaya of Bannikere (Sh. dt. tk). The above temple was caused by the pious lady votary Bācaladevi, consort of Bhujabala Ganga Permmādideva, mahamandalesvara of Mandali-Thousand [EC. VI-I (BLR). Sh. 97. 1112-13. pp. 106-08]. Dhavala-Tikā was copied for Subancandra Siddhānti, the chief abbot of the Bannikere diocese. The copyig of the holy agama text was an act of śāstra-dāna by Devamati (Demati, Demavati, Demiyakka are the other popular aliases), sister of both Laksmimati and Būcana, wife of Cāmunda, the royal merchant, motherin-law of the Mandalinād chief Bhujabala Ganga Permmādideva, and mother of Ganga Mahādevi, queen consort of the Mandali nād chief (ibid, EC. II (R) SB. 160 (130). 1121. p. 101 ibid, SB 82 (73). C.E. 1118 pp. 64-65].
In the colophon (of the plam-leaf manuscript) of the DhavalāTikā, Jinna, the felicitous copyist, has breifly recorded an autobiographical note in three verses (a utpalamāla vrtta and two kandas). Jinna belongs to Kupana, the famous town: “Jinna, lustre to the ocean of his clan, thriving well as an excellent mirror for the learned faces, a bee at the lotus feet of Jina who is worshipped by Indra, the cheif of gods in heaven” - thus, the entire terrestrial world is profusely praising Jinna, the man par excellence in following the code of Manu (vrtta verse). Jinna, a worshipper of the lotus feet of Jina, a sea of humility, having pleasure in giving charities, follower of the best path, always keeping a distance from women folk, donor of things useful to public affairs [Kanda verse No. 1]. Varuna, the god of waters, merrily places on the neck of Bhārati alias Sarasvati, the garland necklace, choosing only the best of pearl from the ocean. Similarly, Jinna also writes the alphabets like a wrapper for the neck of the goddess of learning (Kanda verse no. 2).

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Theme and aim of the epigraphs / 29
These biographical details speak of the native place of the copyist, his religion, devotion, liberal attitude and the ideal that Jinna, the scribe, had in preparing the holy manuscript of Dhavala-Tikā. Thus the colophon has an additional information apropos of Koppaļa. Koppaļa has the rare distinction of producing great sculptors, architects. scribes. religious leaders, donors, friars and nuns.
Nirgrantha monks
The Nirgranthas and their followers go without clothing and so attract notice, making it a meritorious act to pull out their hair by violence, their skin dried up and their feet hard and in appearence like the decayed wood on the river bank [Hiuen Tsang, C. 7th cent. A.D.]
The barefooted monks travelled widely in the pathless country side, Indian wood and up and down the rocky hillocks. to propogate the message of non-violence. Bhadrabāhu, Simhanandi, Candragupta - the pioneer messaiahs, paved the avenue for generation of monks to carry the torch without let; their teachings have moulded the lives of millions of people.
According to the Greek view, nudist (jaina) monks (GK. Gymnosophists) exposed to hardships and courted death by starvation (sallekhanā), who held a high position of esteem in society. Ladies, practicing restraint, studied religion and philosophy under the guidance of these nirgrantha monks who made no discrimination on grounds of caste, sex and class, but gave a high place to personal conduct. The naked monks used to worship stūpas.
Different lines of (ganas) preceptors are mentioned in the inscriptions, with their other subordinate or subsidiary groups (gacchas), indicating their particular surname, usually suggesting the particular place the line first sprang up or the main head quarters. Of the lot, Desiga gana, Pustaka gaccha (Sarasvati or Śāradā are other aliases) seems to have originated from Kondakunda, the sacred seat of the celebrated Padmanandi ācārya, who had the other names

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30/ Jaina Corpus of Koppala
of Koṇḍakundācārya and Gṛddhrapincācārya, because of whom the place attained such an excellence. The anvaya that took its origin from this place is popular as Kondakundānvaya. Kondakunda has been identified as the modern Konakondla, now in Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh. Ganga Perur, again in Andhra, is associated with the adept Simhanandi Acārya who promoted the Ganga dynasty and inspired the young princes in carving a celebrated kingdom that continued to rule for over nine hundred years.
The Mulasangha, a dominant ecclesiastical institution which is referred to in many of the Koppala epigraphs, was established by Mahāvīra. Indrabhūti Gautama (Pk. Indabui Goyama) was the first to hold its pontiffical chair. Later, Bhadrabahu brought it to the south, and it branched off to many ganas and gacchas. Konḍakunda ācārya, one of the greatest of patriarchs, consolidated the splinter groups, and made Mulasangha, the original congregation, and invincible force in the south: Śri Koṇḍakunda-nāmā-bhūn-mulasanghā=graņi gani [EC. II (R) No. 79 (69) C. 12th Cent. C.E. p. 55].
Thus, Mulasangha maintained its hold for over a thousand years and had its sway over all other branches including the Yapaniya.
Pincha olim Rajoharana
Piñcha (Picca, Pincha), the broom stick (rajoharaṇa), has been an indispensable belonging of the Nirgrantha monk, along with the Kamaṇḍala, the water pot.
Umāsvāti ācārya used a broom of eagle feathers to ward off insects from his sitting place, and hence he got the cognomen of Gṛdhrapiñcha. Similarly monk with a mayūrapincha, or a balāka pincha or ulūkapincha called respectively as Mayūrapiñchācārya, Balākapiñchācārya, Ulūka-piñchācārya.
According to a legend, the well-known KKA compelled (balātkāra) a stone Sarsvati (goddess of knowledge) to

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Theme and aim of the epigraphs/31
speak and therefore the name balātkāragana originated. The secular name of KKA being Padma (nandi), got the former surname because he belonged to the place of Kondakunda, the modern Konakondla in AP.
The piñcha of the Jaina ascetic, reached its height of apogee of worldly respect and recognition, when the Gangas accepted it as auspicious symbol, and accorded a place of honor by including it in their royal insignia. The Gangas are recognised as the bearer of Pinchadhvaja, a banner of peacock feather - Kuvalālapureśvaram .. bhagavad arhanmumukṣu pinchadhvaja vibhūşanam [1A. XVIII p. 300. C. 11th cent. C.E.). The Gangas were born to protect Jinadharmma of the Kailāsa mountain: Kailasa-saila jinadharmma suraksaņārtham [EC. VII-I(BLR) Shimoga No. 10.C.E. 1085. p. 19). Kailāsa (Aştāpada) is sacred to jainas because Rşabha, the first Tirthankara, attained nirvana, release from bondage on the summit of Mount Kailāsa [Nirvāņa-bhakti).

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Chapter 4 CORPUS OF KOPPAĻA INSCRIPTIONS
I shall now confine to a bird's eye view of the contents of the new epigraphs [the number in the brackets indicate the number of the concerned inscription in the printed text, edited by me in Kannada language; e.g., K.1 = Koppaļa charter No.1.]
K.1
Nayanandi bhattāraka of Kondakunda anvaya, Desiga gana, had two disciples, Cinnakabbe and her son Dilipa (?) dandanayaka, a general who had a number of titles such as satya sauca sampannam, Kalikāla Karnan, äśrita kalpa vrkşam, patikārya dakşam, piridittu marevam, nayamam merevam, pati hitānjaneyam, guņada bedangam, niti pārāyaṇam, gadiyanka mallam, ganda pracandam, kirtige nallam, paricchedi gandan etc. He was a bee at the lotus feet of Jina, the conquerer and an occean of virtues, and worshipped the three jewels of Jaina faith (right belief, Ro knowledge, and Ro conduct are the jaina triad). He died on 18-1-1032, Tuesday (saka 953) at Koppaļa by the religious rite of vira sanyasana vidhana, the ritual death by fasting and while in deep meditation.
This inscription belongs to the period of Jagadekamalla Jayasimhadeva (1015-42), the emperor of the Cālukyas of Kalyana. There are two verses used in the epigraph - a kanda and a Campakamāla vịtta. The Nayanandi bhattāraka, worshipped by the kings, also breathed hi at Koppaļa by achieving the Jaina triad (ratnatraya), vide K. 43. An inscription from Hunasi-Hadagali dated C.E. 1099, has mentioned the above Nayanandi monk [KJS: 1996: pp. 230-31). Therefore, the preceptor Nayanandi has died in between A.D. 1031 and 1099, most probably around C.E. 1050.
K.2
In the year saka 913 corresponding to 23-5-990 Friday, a nun by name Jakkiyabbe kanti and another nun whose name

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Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions /33
is lost, disciples of Nemicandra bhatāra of Balātkāragana, attained sanyasana marana. Revabbe, respected by the three world, erected a niśidhi stone. Ranna (C.E. 993), a lay votary of Balātkāragana and a poet-laureate in the court of king Tailapa (973-97), and his son Satyāśraya lțivabedanga (997-1007) has mentioned the name of Nemicandra muni (Ajitapurāņam: canto-12, verse-21).
K.3
Ganda Vimukta ācārya of Balagāra olim Balatkāragana, a profound scholar gained the abode of mokşalakṣmi, emancipation from the cycle of birth and death, in the year saka 899, equivalent to either 12-7-977 Thursday or to 8-11-977 Kārtika bahula. His lotus feet had the dust of the crown of the māndalikas. His transparent character had earned the respect of his followers.
This is one of the early inscriptions in the hoard of newly discovered epigraphs at Koppala. Ganda Vimukta is identical with the pontiff of the same name mentioned in the records of Gāvarwad [E1. XV. 23. 1071-72], Mugud (SII XI-i, 78.1045] and of Bodan (ARIE 1961-62, B-113, 1041 etc)
K.4
Devanandi-Bhatāra, a disciple of Vimalacandra-Bhatāra of Krānūrgana, attained the world of gods in the vear saka 939, equivalent to C.E. 14-4-1004 adhika vaišākha Friday (aştami). Deyakabbe-kanti, a nun in obeisance to her teacher, erected this post mortem memorial column.
Krānūr-gana is a prominent cohort (gaña) of friars and nuns of Yāpaniya sangha; Kānūr-Kandūr, Kādūr are the other variants [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 1997 -B: 234-48),
K.5
This epitaph records the death of three persons on three different dates:
In the year saka 946 (1024 C.E.), Revasetty of Kellengere achieved (ratnatrayas), his holy death, the day synchronising with the auspicious day of parinirvāņa-Mahākalyāna,

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34 / Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
one of the five sacred events in the life of a Tirthanakara. Parinirvāṇa is the final emancipation of an enlightened being followed immediately by salvation (mokşa)
b.
Madhurāntakasetti, son-in-law of Noļambasetti, died in meditation in the year 1023 C.E. He was a storehouse of humility, birth place of pleasentness, an heap of religious merit, an asylum of knowledge, the first in the path of Manu.
Noļamba-setti son of Revasetti, was a bee at the lotus feet of Nemicandra Siddhāntadeva. He was courteous, mild, just, liberal, worthy of merits and of impeccable character. At the time of his death he went to the Jinagrha, and at the feet of his revered teachers attained the holy death in the year 1039 C.E.
1. It is important to note that Revasetty voluntarily went to the Caityagrha, six months earlier to his death, practiced the vow of gradual fasting unto death, listening to the reading of the Ārādhanā text (Mūlārādhanā, Bșhadārādhanā, Bhagavati-ārādhaņā), and thus carried out the ritual prescription under the supervision of his mendicant teachers With the consecrated act of sallekhana, renunciation of all profane possessions and associations, Revasetti was considered a Mahāpurusa, a noble minded eminent person. He was a disciple of Abhayanandi panditadeva who is identical with Abhyanandi-pandita mentioned in Śravanabelago!a inscriptions (EC. 11 (R) 51 (48), 156 (127) and 173 (140)].
Abhayanandi-pandita was one of the foremost of Jaina mendicants in the Gangavādi 96000 region (K.9), and a preceptor of the Ganga kings. He was a disciple of Traikālyayogi and a grand disciple of Gollācārya (EC. II (R) 51 (48) Ilth cent.C.E. p. 17; ibid, 156 (127), p. 94; ibid, 173 (140) p. 119]. All these pontiffs accomplished ratnatraya, the threejewels, by observing the ritual of meditation and fasting unto death at Koppala.
K.6 and K. 27 Two inscriptions of Koppaļa vividly describe Kundanarasi alias Kundaņasomidevi, elder daughter of Būtuga-permādi

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Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions /35
II (C.E. 938-61). Koppaļa inscription No. 6 is undated and fragmentary but, on paleographic grounds, it can be assigned to the end of tenth century. Kundaņarasi, a caladankagärti, by renouncing all food and drink, patiently awaiting her inevitable end, achieved the three-jewels and entered the world of gods-is the summary of the four lines traceable in the above nisidhi.
1. Another inscription (K. 27) is dated saka yer 929 (1007 C.E.), but that is the year of the death of Cangaladevi alias Cangāmbe a contemporary of Kundaņasomidevi. Both of them died of sallekhanā and were equally towering personalities during the second half of tenth century. Maladhārideva was the teacher, Rāya was the master, Mācaņa was the son, the best religion of the Lord Jina, the victor, was the religion conciously chosen by Cangāmbe daughter of Krşņa III, the Rāştrakūța emperor. She was regularly distributing charities at will. Her name indeed was justified, her birth was accomplished. Considering that there are no takers in the heaven, she had the refined taste of charitable disposition. By folding both the lotus-like hands, she went to the higher world. With the passing away of virtuous women like Kundaņasomidevi and Cangaladevi, who were even famous with the aerial nymphs dwelling in the sky, the very words of charity and righteousness also disappeared from the face of earth.
Nemicandra Siddhāntadeva and Abhayanandi Panditadeva were contemporaries and are mentioned in SB inscriptions [EC. II (R) 51 (48). 11th cent. p. 17; ibid, 156 (127) 1115. p. 94 ibid 173 (140), 1145, p. 119). Traikālyayogi was the disciple of Gollācārya, and Abhayanandi was the pupil of Traikālyayogi - and all the three pontiffs figure in Koppa!a charters, vide k.9, k.21, k.38, K.41, k.52 and k.5.
Kundasāmi (Kundaņa-somi, Kundanarasi), a charming lady of beauty and benevolence, daughter of Būtuga-11 [El. XXXVI. pp. 97-110: MAR 1921 pp. 8-16: EC. VIII (BLR) Nagara 35), younger sister of Maru!adeva-11 [MAR 1921, Kūdlūr plates: E1. XXVII), elder sister of Mārasimhadeva-||

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[EC.IV (R), 138.965.CE SII.XI. 42/43 970.CE) and wife of Rājāditya, is introduced at length in the Kukknūr copper plates (AREP 1969-70. Nos. 4-5, 968-69 C.E; IWG; 1984: No. 159, p. 504). "Verses 46-49, the rhetoric prose passage which follows in lines 152-184, as also verse 50, are devoted to Kundaņasāmi's eulogy, highlighting her physical charms, wholesome beauty, her accomplishments in learning and the fine arts, her patrongae to the erudite and the deserving, her deep devotion to Jina and her knowledge of jaina philosophy... Kundaņasāmi, the moon in the occean of the Ganga family, who was unequalled in beauty, calmness, intelligence and prosperity, who was the follower of Būtuga...” (Ramesh, K.V; IWG; 1984: p. 512]. She was married to Rājāditya, a Cāļukya scion who was also the husband of Cangāmbā. An historical fact is that Rājāditya alias Rāya was the son of the sister of Būtuga who was married to a Cālukya scion, to whom Rājāditya was born. It is paradoxial that Rājāditya's head was cut off in the battle by Mārasimha, his own brotherin-law (MAR 1935. pp. 114 ff; ARSIE. No. 172; IWG, No. 159, A.D. 968-69, pp. 494-513; EC. 11(R) "Intro” XXXIV etc). Infact Jayaduttaranga Būtuga had also defeated Rājāditya [1WG, No. 138, AD. 962-63, pp. 411-30]. The adage, that all is fair in love and war, holds good in the case of the Ganga family. A beautiful bronze image of Māņikya-Jina, with an inscription on its back of about 970 C.E., gifted by Kundaņa-sāmi to some temple, was discovered in a coffee estate of Crawford saheba, is safely preserved in the Jain Matha temple at SB [EC. IX (R). Sakaleśpur 31 (V Manjrābād 67) 10th cent.C.E. Bāl!u (Hassan dt/Sakaleśpur Tk) p. 519]; It is one of the rare and early metal (Jaina) images of Karnāțaka. With the discovery of these two new inscriptions, now a full picture of Kundanasāmidevi, from cradle to grave, is available.
K.12
Bāsa-bhūpati, son of Caladanka Gangamahipa (Būtugall), had the impeccable fame equal to that of Kupaņācala

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(Koppaļa). His wife was Kāvanabbarasi. Their daughter Rambaladevi, alias Rambhā, a gem of a woman, a beautiful nymph, had the charm of a plantain tree. Rambhā was a goddess of learning and her benovalence new no bounds.
There is a pun in the use of this name Rambhā, also the name of an apsaras, wife of Nalakūbara, and she was considered the most beautiful woman in the paradise of Indra.
Rambaladevi's husband, Biraladeva, a prince of the illustrious Cālukyavamsa, a head-jewel of kings and a submarine in the sea of enemies. Ramabaladevi was the disciple of the preceptor Sricandra-Bhattāraka. She realised the vanity and transitoriness of human life, took the veil and observed the vow of fasting unto death. While meditating the holy fect of the spiritual victor (Jina), like the fragrance of the flower, she departed from this mundane world only to be born as the best of celestial beings.
The veracity of this inscription of poetic excellence is of historical importance. The name of Bāsa, as a son of Būtuga is not mentioned in any other inscription, except this. Albeit, one of the inscriptions mentions the name of Vāsava as the last son of Būtuga || [EC. VII (BLR) Nagara. 35. 1077 C.E.). This Vasava's wife's name is mentioned as Kancaladevi. Vāsava and Kancaladevi had two sons - Rakkasaganga alias Govidaradeva and Arumuļideva. It is quiet possible that Bāsa and Vāsava are one and the same; but, whether kañcaladevi and Kāvanabbarasi are different or not is still a problem which requires more corroborative evidences to decide. [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 1997-A:10710].
K.9
Mauni bhattāraka, a renown mendicant, accomplished the three-jewels of Right-insight, Ro-knowledge and Ro-conduct, by observing the ritual of meditation and fasting unto death in the year Śaka 941 (14-3-1019 Saturday). The head of the merchant guild and a laity of Abhayanandi Pandita, famous in the kingdom of the Gangas, caused this niśdhi memorial column.

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K. 10
A son or disciple of XXX passed away while in deep meditation on 9-6-971 Friday; portion mentioning the name of the person is mutilated.
K.11
In the year Śaka 956 corresponding to the Wednesday 132-1035 phalguņa ..... the rest is lost.
K.12
Nanni Nolamba Pallava, who had the cognomen of Chaladankakāra and Pallavarāma succeeded his father Nolamba Pallava Dilipa (C.E. 943-68) in the year C.E. 969, as the maha-sāmanta of Nolambalige-32,000. He was defeated and perhaps killed, in the battle by the Ganga Mārasimha (964-74) the No!amba-kulāntaka. As a consequence to the sad demise of their husband Pallavarama alias Nanni Nolamba Pallava, his three consorts Pariyabbarasi, Asagabbarasi and Revakayye renounced the profane life and accepted the vow of nunhood, leading the rigid life of celibacy of the veil. Of the three nuns, Pariyabbarasi died on 24-2-990 Monday, Revayye also had died by the rite of Sallekhanā earlier.
K.13
The stainless Tribhuvanacandra munindra, who had crushed the ego of Cupid, the god of love, only friend of the learned, teacher of the illustrious ascetic Śrutasagara, attained the holy eternal bliss of liberation on 7-6-940. He was a lotus in the pond of religious mendicants, had disciples who were pure in thought, free from jealousy and egoism, possessor of good character, and wisdom of distinguishing the good from the bad. This charter belongs to early tenth cent. A.D.
K.14
The epigraph is not legible.

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K.15
Nemicandra Vimalayogi, a lion to the hostile elephants, the sin. Padmnandi Siddhāntadeva, his worthy pupil, was a lamp that lit the Jaina faith (Jina-samaya-dipaka). As though a second Indranandi Siddhāntadeva, he elucidated the knowledge of scriptures to dispell the illusions. None was so calm, so well informed in possessing the complete sacred congnizance, deserving the praise in full; because of him the unequalled Jaina order manifested bright. He was a mountain from where the river of compassion had its birth, a rest house of philosophy, a boat to cross the ocean of the world. Such an eminent rşi, Padmanandi Siddhāntadeva attained the ritual death while in deep meditation, on 30-71028 Tuesday, Śrāvana Suddha Saptami. His disciple Mācabbe Kanti, a nun, erected the nisidhi column, and Labbandoja wrote this epitaph.
According to the statement made in the colophon of Dhavalā Tika, Padmanandi Siddhānta munindra, an abode of godess of learning, calm and composed like a moon for the mass of lily flowers, the learned. A monk of the same name figures in some other epigraphs (EC. VIII (1902) Soraba 262. 1077 Kuppatūr, ARIE 1960-61 B-30 and B-82. C.E. 1087; IAP. Karimnagar. No. 17. 1060 etc).
K.16
This is an undated record but evidently belongs to the end of tenth and the beginning of eleventh cent. With an abundant character, conquering and destroying the enemy of Karma, the sayings of the early masters being the royal conduct (policy), the courageous Kondakundācārya administered the sacred land of penance and the world obeyed his orders - such was his eminence.
His disciple Meghacandra Siddhāntamunindra was unsullied, one of the greatest seers of the Jaina faith. He was the jangama-tirtha, a mobile ford in the holy path of Jaina monastic order, in the modern times. The nisidhi column was erected by Vimalanandi bhattāraka to perpetuate the memory of his teacher, Meghacandra munindra. Pittoja or Peddoja wrote the charter; auspiciousness (mangaļam).

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K.17
K.18
K.19
The importance of this charter in the context of jaina ägama and ācārya tradition needs no exaggeration. The Śārdulavikriḍita Vṛtta (in the first six lines of the epigraph), extolling the towering personality of KKA, figures again in k.52, k.60 and k.62, in the Huṇasi-Haḍagali inscription of 1099 and in the colophon portion of the Dhavala-Ṭikā. Again, it is note worthy that Meghacandra Siddhanta munindra who figures so prominently in the colophon of the Mahā Dhavala-Ṭika (Mahābandha), along with his worthy pupil Māghanandi Vratindra, died at Koppala. He was an adroit in different discipline and a connoisseur in agamas, and the four fold congregation considered him as a mobile piligrim centre (jangama-tirtha)!
Mākāļayya, free from evil ways, ardent follower of Ajitaswamy, the second Tirthankara, who had quelled all the sin, protector of all, worshipped by even the divine beings. However we ponder, Bayūra Mākāļayya shines unparalleled on this earth, generous in virtues. Karamayya, his father, Caṭṭakabbe, his mother, possessed pure qualities. Mākāļayya of Bayur learnt, well in advance, that the inevitable death is knocking his doors, renounced the sense of belonging. With a smile on his lips, invoked the lotus feet of Arhat-Parameśvara, an epithet of one who has attained kevala-jñāna, infinite knowledge, the omniscient, breathed his last in virtuous concentration on 9-7-998 Saturday. Caṭṭakabbe, his mother erected the post-mortem memorial stone column.
An axil is important to the wheel of a chariot; Nemicandra Siddhanta Munindra, who had reached the other end of Jaina āgama, was like a moon to the ocean of Jaina order. [It is an incomplete inscription].
Jayanandi Siddhanti, a mine of knowledge, shone brilliantly, as an ornament to Maiļāpa anvaya, a sect of Jaina mendi

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cants [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: Candrakode: 1997-B:34-39). Manikyanandi yogindra, his pupil, a moon to the ocean of Jinadharmma, proficient in sāstras, a lion to the elephant in rut, the opponent dialectician. His disciple was Gunakirti who had the complete knowledge of the Jaina philosophy, an expert in the sciences of grammar, the āgamas, the canonical literature, he had reached the other shore of the oral tradition of Jaina scripture. His pupil was the noted Abhayanandi Panditadeva of Annigere, an eminently pious man who attained the emancipation and joined the abode of the deities on 6-3-1005 Tuesday. The monk Jinacandrapaņdita, who had the cognomen of sarvodaya-cakravartti, caused this column. The rare title of Sarvodaya, welfare of all, reminds the phrase of Samantabhadradeva, who while defining the Jain faith says "sarvodaya-tirtham = idam".
K.20
The epigraph is much mutilaled.
K.21
Ekadandi Trikālayogi has no other match to compare with, except the Ganadharas, the first mendicant disciples of a Tirthankara, the prophet, or the ascetics who are immersed in meditation, or the monks who have mastered the special powers derived out of perfection, i.e. the seven ddhis. Trikālayogi had the systematic practice in all the three types of abstract contemplation:
i. ātāpana, doing penance while standing firmly in the open field under the scorching sun.
ii. tarumūla, standing firmly at the foot of a tree during the rainy season, when the drops of water tricle from the leaves above.
iii. Vinyasta nivāsa, standing firmly in the water in the cold season.
2.
Even when the rainy cloud was roaring with incessant rainfall, lightning and thunderbolt creating a sense of fear every

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where, the monk Trikālayogi was concentration personified, and was equally firm-footed in jaina scripture. After his successful practice of abstract concentration (tapa) in the above three strenuous types of yoga, towards the end of his life, at the feet of Jina of Kopana, after perseverance in his tapas, and when the inevitable end had approached him, Trikālayogi bhalāra decided to perform sallekhanā, the ritual death by fasting. He did the religious obligation for three days and abandoning the cares of worldly possessions, destroying the strength of the effect of sin, was rewarded with the eternal bliss and attained final emancipation from the cycle of birth and death (moksa) on 1-11-997 (Monday). When he attained the salvation, the deliverance of the soul from the individual body, even the gods and Indra, their chief, bowed their head in reverence to the monk. Jakabbe kanti, a nun and confrere of Trikālayogi, got this epitaph erected in stone.
The austerities practiced by the adept are identical with the discipline of the senses as prescribed in the Prakrit and
Sanskrit yogi bhakti: śoșita-gātrayastaya iha śramaņā dịti kambalāvstāha | śiśira niśām tuşāra vişamām gamayanti catuspathe sthităha ||
[śloka No.7 in Sanskrit yogibhakti in the series of Daśabhakti). According to Jinasena ācārya of Punnāta Sangha, the monks were allowed to observe the varities of penance in the jaina temples also [Harivamśapurāṇam, C.E. 784] Trikālayogi alias Traikālyayogi, a famous pupil of Gollācārya, figures in some epigraphs and we have thus an access to his hagiography. He is one of the felicitous ascetics of tenth century whose efficacious influence is transparent in the description of Sravanabelagola and other charters (EC. 11(R) 173 (140) 1145 p. 119, lines: 50 to 59; ibid, 156 (127) 1115. p. 94, lines: 47-56; ibid, 71 (64) 1163 p. 28. lines: 4145 etc.) Trikālayogi Siddhāntadeva was worshipped by kings and māņdalikas. He was the royal preceptor of Sarvalokāśraya
5.

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Vişnuvardhana Mahārāja, rājamārtanda Bhima III [SII. IXi. No. 403. 10th cent. Rāmatirtham cave inscription (AP)], Vizagapatam dt, Vizianagarm zamindari, p. 409).
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and Padmaprabha sculpture [Nirgrantha, Vol. II: 1996: 6768). Rāmatirtham cave was a Jaina cave and the numerous Jaina images on the hill confirm the fact [Jain, J.P: The Jaina sources of the history of ancient India: 1964: 107-08; Jawaharlal: 1994:91]. Thus, the present inscription under discussion [k.21. C.E. 997] has so much of historical significance.
K.22
1.
Māghanandi munipa, a disciple of Maladhārideva, chief of ascetics, was respected by one and all. Vādibhasimha and Trikālamuniśvara were his confrere. Māghanandi bhattāraka attained the abode of gods (the name of the samvatsara is broken and lost, but the month vaisakhaśuddha şaşti and the day Thursday is visible). As the moon lits the sky, all the quarters, the earth, so the fame of Māghanandi bhattāraka shines brilliantly.
Māghanandi bhattāraka accepted the vow of sallekhanā at the caityälaya built by the king Niravadyavallabha. Māghanandi munindra, respected by the learned, a pupil of Meghacandra [K.16), the best of monks, is also connected with the tradition of Mahā Dhavalā Tika. In the colophon of the Mahā (Bandha) Davalā Tika there are verses in praise of Māghanandi Vratindra, pupil of both Meghacandra and Maladhāri munindra, chief of monks: the final prasastiverses of sthitibandhādhikāra, anubhāga bandhādhikāra and pradeśa bandhādhikara contain kanda, sragdharā and Mahā-śragdharā Vrttas in appreciation of Maghanandi rşi.
K.23
Tribhuvanacandra munindra, disciple of Ravicandrasuri, an enemy of sin, was a master of the Nirgrantha world. Tribhuvana candra, a sun to the lotus, the jain saint-scholars, had the qualities of tranquility, restraint, patience and strict adherence to the rules enunciated in the scriptures, he would utter the sacred words of truth.
2.
Another disciple of Ravicandra was Pūrņacandra and his pupil were Sridharadeva, Srtasāgara and Dāmanandi. A

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great sage Dāmanandi, well-known in the line of Kāņür gana, attained his liberation on 13-3-1036 Saturday. Nāņabbe kanti, a nun, also breathed her last.
A remarkable feature of the present record is that the details mostly coinside with the list of friars mentioned in the colophon of the Dhavala-Tikā, Ravicandra, Śridharadeva, Dāmanandi figure prominently. [Dhavalā Tikā of C.E. 1113; KJS: 1996: p. 230, Huņasi-Hadagali inscription of A.D.
1099].
K.24
Pittakabbe alias Pittabbe erected a post obitum to her precetpor (other details are not known). She is identical with the Pittabbe mentioned in K. 17 and K.26, all of later tenth cent.
K.25
A man who had quelled the feelings of lust took to the vow of fast unto death (much mutilated].
K.26
Ereyabbe, disciple of the learned Mauni-yogi-munindraVallabhācārya, was vulnerable and appreciated by the bhavya-jana, persons capable of attaining mokşa. She was deceased and she wanted to retaliate the sickness by taking refuge in deep meditation, Enduring with resignation, the privations imposed by austerities for five years, which only Ereyabbe could afford, she achieved remarkable fame. She travelled to the world of gods by observing the ritual fasting to death on 11-10-976. Pittabbe, a bee at the lotus feet of Tribhuvanacandra swamy, erected this nisidhikā with,
affection to the nun Eseyabbe kanti. K. 27
This has been discussed along with K. 6.
K.28
1.
Candabbarasi, elder daughter of the reputed father and the ruler of the earth surrounded by sea, head in the lkşvāku family, shining bright like the moonlight, was charming and

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famous. Candabbarasi had the biruda sahaja. makardhvajam, dussaha sauryam; there was no subject which she did not know. She was the younger sister of the crown-jewel of the māndalikas - such was the greatness of Candabbarasi.
All of a sudden distress beseached the renowned Candabbarasi which made her to act swiftly. She immediately relinquished everything, accepted the vow of willing submission to death and attained the most respected and coveted pandita-pandita-maraņa, the highest and best of the varieties of death as prescribed in the Ārādhanā text of Śivakoți-ācārya, on 27-11-972 at Koppaļa.
3.
The problem of identification of the father and brother of Candibbarasi remains an enigma. But the possibility of Candibbarasi and Kundaņasāmidevi being one and the same is worth considering. The author of this record is Hiranyagarbha.
K.29
1.
The omniscient Sridharadeva was simultaneously both a fixed and mobile spiritual teacher. Kopana was a permanent piligrimage place for attaining mokşa, emancipation from the cycle of birth and death. "Sridharadeva was an animate tirtha for the world" - was the opinion of the people. The learned and the emperors worshipped the seer. He had broken the pillar of defilement, conquered the chain of bondage and the five senses, destroyed the sin and traversed the holy path of mukti, salvation or final liberation.
Cāmundaraya (A.D. 978) has described Āryasena muninātha as a jangama-tirtha (Cāmundarāya purāņam, verse no. 17). Meghacandra is also considered as a jangama-tirtha of tenth cent. [k.16); so was Nokkayya Pattanasetti, president of the chamber of commerce of the Sāntaļige-Thousand nād (EC. VIII (BLR) Nr. 57. 1077, line: 26]. There were some pontiffs in the Jaina monastery of tenth and eleventh centuries, who were highly respected

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as jangama thirthas (EC. VII-I (BLR) Sh. 57.1118 Nidige; ibid, Sh. 64. 1132. Purale p.67 etc)
'Sridharadeva was worshipped by the emperors' - is a statement of historical importance. Though, the inscription is undated, it can be assigned to the last decades of tenth century. During that period, the area in and around Koppaļa was ruled by Tailapa-Il (973-97). Hence, it is more probable that the emperor Tailappa had paid his respect to Śridharadeva.
K.30
Sakalacandra munindra, proficient in the glorious and profound syādvāda philosophy, in the knowledge of three-jewels, a birth place of forbearance. Candranandi, a lion to the elephant in rut, the Kāma, was his teacher: Dāmanandi Siddhanta muniśvara, a chief of many ascetics was his pupil; such was the grandeur of Sakalacandra munindra, how lucky he was!
Goddess Padmāvatidevi of Mirijāpura (Miraji in Mahāraştra: Sāngli dt) temple spread the perfections of this great ascetic Sakala candrabhattāraka to the assembly of attaining mokşa. Folding both his lotus hands into the shape of an opening bud, did not unfurl it even at the time of the soul departing from his human flesh; such was the happy end! He gracefully walked into the heaven on Sunday of Śravana nakšatra Adityavāra (name of the samvatsara is lost).
K.31
On 9-10-997 (saturday) a disciple of Maladhārideva attained his death.
K.32
Devendra muniśvara of Koņda-kunda anvaya Desika-gana, a residence unit of Jaina monks, pustaka-gaccha, a chapter of Jaina monks, of pleasing manners, achieved his final and (incomplete inscription).

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K.33
In the year śaka 893 corresponding to June 6th of 971 A.D. Tuesday, Maladhärideva, a pupil of Sridharavimuktibhatāra of KKA Desigagana, attained death while in meditation. Maladhāri sūri performed penance day and night after which he comfortably, leaving the five vital breaths, walked into the realms of heaven. The five arrow of flowers of Kāma could not pierce his body, ill-conduct could not reach him, the snare of worldly illusion could not touch, consequences of actions done in former stages of existence could not effect - that was the glory of Maladhārideva. Fixed firmly in Padmāsana, sitting with the thighs crossed, with one hand resting on the left thigh, the other held up with the thumb upon the heart, and the eyes directed to the tip of the nose; with ease he got enlightenement, left the body to the five elements and crossed over to the eternal world. As indirect reverence to his teacher, Candraprabhadeva, a pupil caused
this after death column (niśidhi). K. 34
Since this is an important inscription, an in externso discussion will follow after K. 68.
K.35
Padmabbe kanti, a famous nun of Kogaļi, reached the abode of gods on 18-5-1001 Monday. She was the disciple of Śridharadeva, a towering personality of tenth cent., who figures in some other inscriptions of Koppa!a and SB. Padmabbe kanti, praised by one and all, was a residence of merits. Jakkiyabbe, worthy disciple of the nun, erected this post mortem memory stone.
Kogali was a farfamed Jaina seat and a piligrim centre (a jaina-tirtha). The Ganga kings made it an abode of architectural beauty and a cultural centre. Durvinita built in sixth cent. an extraordinary sarvatobhadra caityālaya; four Jinas seated back to back in the centre, having entrance to the temple from all the four sides, also called caturmukha

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basadi, is the speciality of this type of temple. Kogaļi was not far away from Koppaļa.
K.36
A fragmentary inscription records that Boppa a person earned a great reputation by causing jaina temple at Kupāņā-Śri-tirtha, perhaps in the early thirteenth cent.
K.37
1.
Indranandideva had the privilege of accomplishing his mission in his lifetime through restraint, respect to teachers, elders, penance, liberal outlook, preaching, pious acts and caring for betterment of others. Indranandi bhattāraka accepted the vow sanyasana, voluntarily inviting death, and attained the highest status on 3-5-1032 Wednesday. The adept Indranandi, teacher of Ponna (C.E. 960), (a major Kannada writer) and the author of Śrutāvatāra (A.D. 930), is almost a hundred years earlier to the present Indranandi. Similarly Indranandi who is referred in some other charters of eleventh century is a later preceptor (SII, IX-1 No. 117 A.D. 1055; ibid, No. 124 C. 1080 A.D; SII. XX. 55.1082). But the pontiff Indranandi, hailed as the lion cub for the elephant in rut, the opponent disputants, is identical with the person of the same name of K.37 inscription [SII. XI-i. 130 A.D. 1050, Kogaļi (Ballay dt/Hadagali tk)] Indranandideva also figures in K. 15 A.D. 1028, and K.52, A.D. 1050, of the present corpus.
3.
K.38
1.
The whole earth raised its brow and looked at the extraordinary creation of Talagarasa, a bee at the lotus feet of Gollācārya, an occean of the celebrated Jinadharma, the reiligion of the Jains. Talagarasa had caused Torana, a festoon suspended accross the gate ways and steps with ornamentation of large crocodile, crow and other animal and birds of excellent artistic design.
2.
Gollācārya's elder pupil was Trikālayogi munindra who, during the hot season of summer, observed penance, on

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stone boulders; stood at the foot of the tree while the dark clouds roared, pouring incessant rain; stood in the ice-cold water during the winter season - that was the mental strength and eminence of Trikālayogi munindra.
3.
This is an undated and incomplete inscription, but supplements the information of K.21 and K.41 epigraphs and SB Nos. 71 (64), 156 (127) and 173 (140) inscriptions.
K.39
The accomplished Pallava-rama-mahipāla was a scion of royal stock. His three consorts Pariyabbarasi, Asagabbarasi and Revakayye, embellished with the three jewels of right insight, right knowledge and right conduct were jems of amiable disposition among the virtuous women folk.
These three queens of the king's seraglio constructed Jaina temples, arranged festivals to worship Jina, consecrated and anointed the images of Jina, had equal devotion to Jaina ascetics. All the three spouses joined the ascetic order at Koppaļa, renouncing the mahişipada the first properly consecrated queenship of mandaleśvara and preferred the mahendra-pada.
Revakayye listned to the three ritualized confessions, sitting on the thighs, one leg being on the other, a heroic posture practiced by ascetics of higher hierarchy, breathed her lost. Even the gods celebrated Revakayye's holy death by singing and dancing, repeatedly uttering Jayajaya-nandavardha (victorious - auspicious). Drums and other rare instruments of heaven made the sacred sound to the rythm of the melliflous music of Tumbura, the Gandharva and Nārada, the devarsi, to the tune of which the apsaras danced and thus the paradise above rejoiced the festival of the arrival of Revakayye āryikā from the earth below. Pariyabbarasi, also accepting the difficult vows of willing submission to the inevitable death, putting up with all sorts of bodily trouble by complete indifference to it, engrossed in deep meditation, walked into the company of deities in the year śaka 911 (C.E. 989).

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K.40
The renowned Padmabbarasi, wife of Ganga-Gängeya Permādi-Būtuga II (C.E. 938-61), an ideal lay votary of Jaina order, reached Kopaņa (Koppa!a), and amidst the applause and appreciation of all around, accepted the rite of sallekhanã. Her teacher Maladharideva, an ascetic of many virtues and conqueror of all desires, administered the ritual. Padmabbarasi, while in meditation died in the year saka 894, corresponding to C.E. 3-12-973 Wednesday. Padmabbarasi had also built a Jaina temple at Naregal and endowed it with several gifts [SII. XI-1.38.C.E. 950. Naregal, pp. 23-24]. Maladhārideva was a famous jaina monk of 10th cent. at Koppa!a.
K.41
This inscription describes vividly the towering personality of Gollācārya, celebrity who belonged to the lineage of KKA pustaka-gaccha Desiga-gana. It has been discussed earlier about the importance of Gollācārya and his pupil. Though the present epigraph is undated, it can be assigned towards the end of tenth cent.
K.42
This undated epigraph praises dāna-Jettige who attained heaven after distributing all her wealth. She relinquished the residence while her husband was alive; her meditation won laurels from the monks and the gods alike. She became an ideal reflected image to the world of the followers of Jaina faith.
K.43
1.
This record has more historical and religious significance in the context of Jaina hagiography and canonical literature. Though the charter is not dated, on the basis of internal and external evidences, it can be assigned to the later part of leventh cent. Sage Nayanandi, pupil of Maladhārideva, was known for his dignity, consistency, calm and composed sterling charac
2.

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ter. Possesing eminence of excellences, Nayamandi installed peace on earth. He was terrible to Kāma, free from astringent. He learnt that his days are numbered, recollected the wise sayings of the early learned ācāryas and left to join the divine men at Kupaņa-tirtha. Reciting the Jaina litany of reverent salutation to the five holy beings, Nayanandi bhattaraka, worshipped by the kings, achieved the triad, the three jewels and reached the final emanicapation. A nun (her name is lost), who was a disciple, caused this nisidhi stone for the merit of her teacher. A campakamāla vịtta of this inscription describing the non pariel qualities of the saint Maladhärideva, has been verbatem repeated in the colophon of the Dhavalā-Tika, copied in the year C.E. 1113 at the Jina-Pārsva temple of Bannikere. Maladhārideva never once scratched the body when itching was caused by the dirt which covered the whole of it like an armour; he never lay on the side when overcome by sleep; he never said 'shut or open the door'; he never spat; he never reposed - when such was the extraordinary self-control, character and penance, is even the lord of serpents able to describe the assemblage of good qualities of Maladhärideva?
The above verse of the description of Maladhārideva bhattāraka also finds a place in SB inscriptions [EC.11(R) 484 (351), 1119, p.304 and ibid, 135 (117) 1123.p.81]; and an epigraph of A.D. 1099 of Hungsi-Hadagali also contains the details of Maladhārideva and his pupil Nayanandideva.
K.44
A. Revakanimmadi, wife of Būtuga II (C.E. 938-61) had partronised and popularised Jainism on such a large scale that it was she who did it on par with Bütuga, Sankaraganda, Mārasimhadeva, Maru!adeva, Cāmundarāya, Rājamalla and Gunadankakārti Attimabbe. Revakanimmadi influenced by the misery of worldly life and the note of impermanence, took to nunhood and finally, in the prescribed manner of Sanyasana-vidhāna, died at Koppaļa in the saka year 952 equivalent to 7-5-1030 Thursday.

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B. Revakanimmadi was one of the four consorts of Būtuga II, the other three being Padmabbarasi, Divaļāmbā, and Kallabbā (EI. XV. 23.1071-72. pp. 337-48; SII. XX. 35.1055; El. XXXVI. pp. 97-110; IWG: 1984: No. 139.962 C.E. and ibid, No. 138; EIVI. p. 71; EI. IV. p 352; Fleet, DKD. p.304; EC. VIII (1902) Nagara 35.1077). Koppaļa inscription no. 40 has recorded the death of Padmabbarasi. Most probably Būtuga II must have died at Koppaļa, accepting the vow of sallekhanā. Regarding the identity of Revakanimmadi [k.44] there is a problem which needs further clarification. In the text of the inscription this Revakanimmadi is compared to a well-known lady of the same name (i.e. the wife of Būtuga). Besides, the date of the death of this Revakanimmadi is 1030 C.E. It is impossible for the Revakanimmaļi, wife of Būtuga, to live up to that period. Hence, Revakaninimmadi of K. 44 may be another lady possessing the same name.
There are three Revakas mentioned in the present collection; Revakayya-Revakayye (k.39), Revakabbe (k.45) and Revakanimmaại; all the three of them are different persons and also died at different periods.
Divaļāmbā had commissioned a jinālaya at Sūļi (Sündi), and her spouse Butuga made a donation of land in C.E. 938 (IA. Vol. Ill. p. 184 C.E. 960). An inscription from Kūragallu states that Paramabbe, consort of Būtugga was ruling Kuragallu in Kongalnād-8000 (EC. IV(R) Periyaptņa. 28. C. 10th cent. p. 523). If Paramabbe is different from Padmabbe, then she will be the fifth wife of Būtuga.
K.45
Vijayabbarasi, by the rite of sallekhanā, attained death on 4-4-998 Monday and her daughter or disciple Revakabbe, a gāmundi of Mugaļi, caused this post-mortem memory stone for the merit of her mother.
K.46
Jäkayye, sensing that the final hour has come, stopped all her activities, lost any interest in the mundane world, hap

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K.47
1.
2.
3.
K.48
pily listened to the teachings of the monks, took the vow of fasting and found the final emancipation, after anihilation of the terrestrial interests, on 30-5-1035 Friday.
It opens with a rare Sanskrit invocatory verse: Let there be auspiciousnses to the ordinance of Jina, which is the friendly sun, awakening the host of lotuses in the form of pious persons, and which lends a supporting to the being who is oppressed by the peculiar darkness of the ocean of mundane existence [C.E. 1023]; this verse is repeated in a later charter [SII. IX-i. No. 387. A.D. 1297, Mannera Masalavāda (Ballary dt., Harapanahalli tk) p. 400].
Ganga māṇḍalika Rājamalladeva, a bee at the lotus feet of Arhat Parameśvara, was a chief lay votary of Ajitasenamuni, a connoisseur of the doctrine of non-absolutism, and chief of the four-fold synod. Rājamalladeva, son of Butuga-II, had crushed the enemies with his valour, washed off the hostile manḍaleśvaras with his matchless bravery, annexed the territories of his opponents. Even Hari and Hara, of the eternal trinity, happily joined Rājamalladeva, such was his prowess, an elephant in rut.
Kañcabbarasi, consort of Rājamalladeva, scion of the Ganga dynasty, an ornament to the glorious royal family, upheld her magnificence and lost interests in everyday worldly life, after the death of her husband. She sought relief from the burden and sorrow of existence and the series of births. Keñcabbarasi approached the stainless Ajitasena munisvara, the preceptor of the Gangakula, listned to his religious sermon on the rewards of the virtuous life. She, on her own accord, took to penance, achieved the most coveted three jewels and easily walked into the eternal world in the year saka 945, identical to 15-1-1023 Tuesday at the Kopaṇa-tirtha.
A fragmentary lithic record of the early eleventh cent. (undated), explains briefly the felicitous and efficacious personality of the sage Maladhārideva, who after attaining emancipation from the worldly bondage, was received by

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the divine beings with pomp and pleasure. Poleyabbe kanti, a nun and pupil of Maladhārideva, (either ereceted the nisidhi for the merit of her teacher or herself met her death at Koppa!a).
K.49
A broken inscription, contains only the usual invocatory Jaina śloka, a quotation from the pramāņa-sanghraha, may the doctrine of Jina be victorious, the doctrine of the lord of three words, the unfailing characteristic of which is the glorious and most profound syadvāda, the doctrine of nonabsolutism.
K.50
Ascetic Siddhasena bhatāra looked after the pontifical order of Kopana diocese for several years and was honoured by the kings. Sidhasena Pandita muni belonged to senagaņa and candrikaväta anvaya. Maladhāri muni, teacher of Siddhasena bhatāra observed penance and accepted the rite of sanyasana, a wont of many Jaina monks, met his death and attained the state of eternal bliss in the cattaga vasadi temple at Kupaņa, and his famous pupil, Siddhasena erected this nisidhi as a postmortem memory and respect. It is an undated and incomplete epigraph.
K.51
May the doctrine of Jina be victorious, the doctrine of the lord of the three worlds, the unfailing characteristic of which is the glorious and most profound syādvāda, the doctrine of qualified assertion. To praise kavadeya Boppasetti, even the creator (Aja=Brahma) does not know; when such is the case, who else is there on earth to eulogise the endless greatness of the penance of Candranandi bhatāra, commended by Aca (poet Acanna, author of Vardhamāna purāņam, C.E. 1195, and a pupil of the preceptor Nandiyogindra). Arhanandi, disciple of Candanandi, ornament of monks, who with his rigid penance slimmed the body, subdued vexatious sensual passions. His virtues,

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2.
3.
4.
5.
K.52
1.
highly delineated by the earth surrounded by sea, full of crocodiles.
Kupana is the earth of Jina, the victor, the lord of that place is Candranatha, and he is dear to the heart, Arhaṇandi munipa is the teacher, Ēcana, reputed and impeccable in the caturtha sect of Jaina community, Sutavve is the mother, and the king Ballāļa is the master - how lucky is Boppasetti bhūpa to possess all this! Rugmini (? temple) is praised in this world, under the instruction of candana Candranathadeva and Kāla yakṣi, Sāgaradatta seṭṭi had made Kopana a great religious centre and the hero Boppa setți reconsecrated the idols with the prescribed rites and enhanced the glory of Kopana.
Boppa setti, a mirror of the world, uplifted all the Jaina temples at the following places of pilgrimmage: Kolattur, Lokkigundi, Kupaṇa, Bankāpura, Hüli, Kogali, Mulgunda, Aśoke, Baṭṭakeṛe, Hanungal, Navilgunda, Belaguļa, Bandaṇikāpura, Purikara and such other tirtha-sthalas, holy seats of Jaina faith.
This is one of the rare inscriptions in the present corpus, where a person's fame is perpetuated. The achievements of Boppa setti are not only listed chronologically but also compared and weighed with that of similar accomplishments in popularising the voice of non-violence (Ahimsā). After observing Boppa setti's adventure, valour, prudence, religious bent of mind, dedication to Jaina faith, people were astonished. They were convinced that he is far superior to the Gangarāja, Nimbasāmanta, Mādhava, Cāmuṇḍrāja and Recana daṇḍanatha, in patronising his creed.
The record also states that Hoysala Ballāļa had crushed a heavy defeat on the Kalacuris and the Seuņas. Bappaseṭṭi died on 29-3-1204 Monday by the rite of samādhi-vidhi.
Abhayanandi Panditadeva, an adept in the line of KKA, continued to shine at Kellangere, a famous city, as a chief abbot of the diocese. Hemacandra Siddhanti, his pupil, was

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a monk of renown. Viranandi facilitated the wise, desirous of crossing the ocean of mundane world, by writing commentaries on Samayasāra, Trilokasāra, Labdhisāra (etc), the pañcasangraha works of the tattvārtha theme. The saint Caturmukhadeva, a treasure of austerity, was a celebrity of excellences. His confrere Indranandi Panditadeva, a lion for the elephant in rut, the hostile disputants, enhanced the glory of the order of Jina (Jinaśasana); the illustrious preceptor passed away on 30-9-1046 Tuesday.
Kāliyabbe kanti, a nun and pupil of Indranandi Panditadeva, adorned with the garland of virtues was the mother superior at Kupanācala. She was renown for her charities, restraint and prowess. Māliyabbe, a lady votary of Kāliyabbe kanti, caused this long lithic record. Māļiyabbe a lady with a tender body, lotus face had long plaited hair.
Sāgaraṇandideva had easily reached the shore of Jaina philosophy; he had the courage of the excellent Mandhara mountain, a swan in the lake of the assembly of the learned, he would spend his time in preaching the philosophy of Tattvārtha (sūtra of the adept Umāsvati). Earth is the notebook, the mountain of the gods is the pen, serpent god is the writer, accounting on the Mandhara... (the remaining portion is broken).
K.53
Gonambe, daughter of Ereganga of the Ganga dynasty, wife of the valiant Ajavarma, and mother of Ksatriya-Räma, relinquished the profane life and took to the rigid life of a nun. After a severe penance, she died in the year saka 914 14-10-1992 C.E. at Koppala.
Eseganga is mentioned in some other inscriptions [IWG. 1984: No. 120: pp. 337-78; Mar 1921. pp. 8-16.962 C.E.; EC. IV (R) Chămarājanagara 354.962-63 C.E.). Ajavarma is identical with the Ajavarma of Küçlür inscription [MAR 1921. pp. 8-16.962 C.E.). Ereganga (886-920) is the son of Būtugendra-l and Candrobalabba.
K.54

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1.
The order of Jaina, i.e. the Jaina religion, was covered in glory earlier by the monk Maladhārideva and later by Candra kirti bhattaraka. Vardhamāna Siddhānta muni was a pupil of both Maladhāri munindra and Nayanandi munipa of unparalleled transparent character. Vardhamāna Siddhānti had subdued the ego of Manasija, the god of love, by his mild and mellifluous chaste words. His worthy pupil, Sakalacandra Siddhāntadeva had won fame for his reflection, restraint of the passions, silence of speech, study of scripture, zealously intent on practicising penance. He died on 6-10-1047 Tuesday and achived the three jewels.
K.55
Mutilated and fragmentary record registers the death of Dhanakabbe nun and a pupil of Purnacandra, a disciple of Ravicandra, chief of the group of monks. Dhanakabbe a nun renown for her sterling character, being without food for days, virtuous disposition, adoration, died at Kopanatirtha (undated; C. 11th cent). Her confrere, Abhinandanayya a poet, an orator, reciter, a disputant caused the epitaph.
K.56, K.57, K.58 and K.59
These four charters are much mutilated, fragmentary, incomplete and undated. K.57 has something to say about a māndalika who had the congomen of Ganganārāyana. K.58 speaks of the queens of a king who died of sallekhana and thus it may be related to K.39, discussed earlier. K.59 contains only the usual invocatory Jaina Sanskrit śloka of Srimat-parama gambhira...
K.60
Bijjāmbika (Bijjāmbarsi), daughter of Būtuga Permādi-ll and Padmāvati (Padmabbe), elder sister of Mārasimha ll, wife of Hariga-Mallapa and a lady disciple of pontiff Sridharadeva, earned the appreciation of scholars and poets. After freely distributing her entire property, bid adieu to every day worldly life. She accepted the vow of sallekhanā, achieved the three

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jewels and died in the manner prescribed in the Arādhanā text at Koppaļa in the year saka 931 corresponding to C.E. 5-10-1003 Tuesday.
This is the first and only inscriptional reference to Bijjāmbikā, daughter of Būtuga and Padmāvati (Padmabbe). Padmāvati is elsewhere mentioned as Padmabbarasi (SII. XI-1.38.950 C.E.]. So far it was known that Būtuga had only one daughter (Kundaņasāmidevi), who was elder to all his children except Maru!adeva, who was the eldest son among all his six children. But the present inscription has supplied an extra information that Būtuga had one more daughter (Bijjāmbā). Both mother Padmāvati (Padmabbarasi, K.40) and daughter Bijjāmbikā (k.60) have died at Koppala by the rite of sallekhanā. Similarly sisters, Kundaņa-sāmidevi and Bijjāmbikā, and co-wives Padmāvati and Revakanimmadi, have met the similar death at Koppa!a.
2.
K.6, 12, 44, 47 and 60 provide reliable historical information, throwing fresh light on the history of Gangas, facilitating an authentic reconstruction of the family tree of Būtuga. There was a good number of luminaries in the very royal house of the Gangas, who heralded the glory of Jainism. Bütuga bequeathed a rich legacy for his successors to emmulate and keep the lamp of syādvāda burning bright.
K.61
1.
An incomplete and undated inscription, provides some useful historical information. A certain Dorayya, a devout Jaina was the father of Bonthādevi and father-in-law of Jagadekamalla Jayasimhadeva, an ornament of the Cālukya emperors (1015-42); a rare feet of wonder for others.
2.
This fragmentary charter contains the important material of supplementing the name of the wife of Jayasimhadeva as Bonthādevi; for the first time, we hear this name. She is the daughter of Dorayya, a jinabhakta and a laity of Sridharadeva, a wildfire for the terrible wood, the siņ.

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This informatin confirms the statement of the historians that the Cālukyas of Kalyāna were Jains up to Jayasimhadeva "From inscriptions we understand that Jagadekamalla was a Jain and had the Jain biruda mallikāmoda. It is to be noted that all his predecessors from Tailapa downwards were Jains” [Venkataraya Sastry, V., Bilhana's Vikramänkadeva Charitam, article in the Chālukyas of Kalyāņa (ed) M.S.N. Rao: 1983: 75). Therefore, K. 61 supplies, additional and hitherto unknown information that his wife and his father-in-law were also ardent Jains.
Āhavamalla Tailapa II (973-97), founder emperor of Kalyāna Cālukya line of rulers, was the son of Bonthādevi and Vikramaditya IV; that Bonthādevi was the daughter of Lakşmaņa, Kalacuri king of central India. Thus the name of Bonthädevi has somehow continued for the second time in the Cālukya royal house.
Though, the fragmentary inscription contains only seven short lines, it is composed in Mattebha vikridita vștta. Śridharadeva of greater celebrity, brought credit and illuminated the Jaina church in the last decades of tenth cent. K.23, K.33, K.60, K.67 have recorded the scintillating spiritual personality of the sage Sridharadeva. Dorayya mentioned elsewhere is different from this person (MAR 1915, No. 19, 1050; EC. Vol. V. Hāssan No. 185].
K.62
1.
It furnishes the glimpses of the hagiography of some patriarchs of Jaina monastery who perpetuated the tradition of canonical literature.
Kondakunda ācārya is equated to an emperor: his virtue is the bounteous treasure, he is victorious by vanquishing the enemies of karma, his royal conduct in following the path traversed by the early ascetics. Thus, the chief of friars and nuns, the KKA is ruling the kingdom of penance (taporäjya). The fourfold congregation is obeying his commandments. With his undaunted courage and venerable charac

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ter, KKA has been supreme in the group of monks, just like an emperor in the assembly of kings.
After Kondakunda ācārya, in his lineage, succeded Grddhapiñcācārya and his pupil Balākapiñcācārya who were both felicitous in Siddhānta (philosophy), adriot in grammar, connoisseur in the six kinds of tarka (polemics) and had won laurels in the Desiga gaņa.
A good number of pupil followed one after another, prominent among the disciples were the (senior) Maladhärideva, Śridharadeva, Māghanandi Siddhāntideva, Devendra bhattarakadeva, Padmaņandi Siddhantadeva, Guņabhadra Siddhāntadeva, Meghacandra Siddhāntadeva who had the unique cognomen of Bharata cakravartti. Śrutakirti paņditadeva and Nayakirti siddhanta-cakravartti.
5.
Meghacandra Saiddhānti, pupil of Nayakirti Siddhānta cakravarti, was chief of the monachs, known for compassion and clemancy. Maladhariswami of Annigeri and Nemicandra Pandita of Arasiyabidu were his disciples
Meghacandra Siddhanta bhattāraka died on 22-8-1031 and achieved the three jewels.
Most of the pontiffs mentioned above do figure prominently in many epigraphs particularly of SB, and in the literary works. A colophon of Dhavala-Tikā contains some of the lines which appear in this inscription - is a point to be noted. And the lines from 13 to 24 are almost repeated in K.52, K.16, K.60 and K.68. A systematic recurrance of such lines shows that the composers of these records had the traditional training.
K.63
A fragmentary inscription speaks of the death of Anugabbarasi, a lady follower, evidently a consort of a king. She was a disciple of Divākaranandi Pandita bhatāra of KKA Desiga gana. She died on 4-4-977 by the rite of Sanyāsana.

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K.64
An incomplete nisidhi, of six small lines, mentions a saka year 896 eqvivalent to 15-2-975 Monday.
K.65
1.
An undated and incomplete nisidhi, of about C.11th cent. A.D., furnishes a few details of the hagiography of the adept Ajitasenācārya, a prominent monk of Sena gana. Famous in the Gangavādi subdivision, he was a royal teacher of the Ganga dynasty.
His influence on the contemporary society was so efficacious that everyone respected him. His votaries strongly felt that the earth still grows food crop, there is regular seasonal rains, people maintain good character, the kings do not fall short of virtues, there is no famine and pestilence, no theft or burglary - all this has been possible because of the penance and presence of Ajitasena munindra.
Ajitasena bhattāraka was an embodiment of deep meditation and had overcome all passions and devoid of any attachment to human body. Some may praise and others may abuse but, he was kind to all. Who would not worship such an uninvolved ascetic dedicated to prayer, meditation, and austerity.
4.
Samantabhadra bhatāra, chief pupil of Narendrasena Pandita, caused the nisidhi by composing the inscription himself.
A possibility of Ajitasenācārya being the same monk who was the teacher of Cāmundarāya, Ranna and Mārasimha, can be contemplated; K.47 also has some details about this preceptor.
Narendrasena-l, grand disciple of Ajitasena ācārya, was a great grammarian; he had mastered the Candra, Kātantra, Jainendra and Aindra traditions of grammars [El. XVI. No. 9. 1053. Mulgunda pp. 53-57; ibid, 9-B, 1081, Lakşmeśvar, pp. 58-66; SII. XVIII. 71. 1066. Moțebennur. p. 67).

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K. 66
The monk Monideva attained liberation in the early morning. Name of the Saka samvatsara is lost. A Maunibhattāraka is mentioned in K. 9 and K. 26.
K.67
The illustrious Sridhara Bhattāraka, an abode of mokşalakşmi, highly pious, a refuge for the disciple, famous in the KKA Desiga gana, attained a better world by the rite of sanyasana-vidhi (in the end of tenth century). Poleyabbe Kanti, a nun and disciple of Sridhara, erected this nisidhi.
K.68
An incomplete and a part of some other unidentified inscription of about eleventh cent. A.D., has given the names of the early master monks who preserved and promoted the canonical knowledge. Grddhapiñcācārya, his pupil, Baļākapinchācārya, Gunanandi Pandita etc. The name of a monk, who had three hundred students, is lost.
Būtuga was himself a well-versed Nirgranthologist. His wives and his daughters were the benefactors of Nirgrantha church (WIG: 1984: No. 138:962 C.E. PP. 411-28]. Būtugas sons, Maru!adeva-li olim Pūņseya-ganga (EC VIII (1902) Nagara 35. 1077, Hombuja (Shimoga dt); El. XXXVI. No. 13. 963. C.E.; MAR 1921. pp. 8-16, 962-63 C.E.), Mārasimha-II (SII. XI. 42.970. Savadi p. 28; EC. IV (R) Ch. 138. 965; ibid, No. 79.971-72; EC.II (R) 64 (59). 975. pp. 202-22 etc), Rājamalla (EC VIII (BLR) Nr. 35. 1077], Nitimārga-Goyindara (ibid), Vāsava [ibid, olim Bāsa [k.12] - all the five vehemently advocated Jainism. [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: Santararu-ondu Adhyana: 1997-A). Rambaladevi, grand daughter of Butuga, Rakkasa Ganga GoyindaradevaIl and Arumuļideva-gradsons of Būtuga, were ardent protagonists of Jainism. Cattaladevi, a great grand daughter of Būtuga and wife of Kāduvetti, built Jinālayas, patronised and encouraged the clergy of Jaina faith (ibid).

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To put it in a nut-shell, these new inscriptions unambiguously prove in unmistakable terms that the Gangas were devot Jains. It is because of the sustained support of the stalwarts of Gangas that Jainism could flourish and assume unparalleled magnitude in Karnataka. On the luminous spectrum of the Ganga kings, Būtuga shines like a polar star.
While elucidating the socio-cultural prominence of the present anthology, some of the achievements and active participation of women of all ranks, from the lay votary to the queen, in religious activities deserve prominent place. On par with men, Jaina women made liberal grants to temples, took part in religious ceremonies, followed the path of renunciation, accepted the rigid rule of nunhood. Women of Ganga family were always in the fore-front to perpetuate the majestic lustre of the Jaina church.
Like monks, the nuns also used to change their personal names on the holy occasion of their initiation to the nunhood; but, the change of nomenclature was not obligatory. Women were never restricted from entering the nunhood in Jainism. Women of the Ganga dynasty, on a large scale, took the vow of sanyasana. Some of them had renouned the terrestrial interests in their early age to practice yoga, meditation, and the methodical study of scriptures. So many friars and nuns attaining their mortal end, by chanting the Jaina litany in the holy manner prescribed by the great saints of the Nirgrantha order, is very much illustrated in the corpus of Koppa! inscriptions.
An added interesting point of the recently discovered epigraphs is that most of them contain a graphic picture of some illustrious preceptors who were held in high reverence by their contemporary ruling class, particularly the Gangas, the Rāştrakūtas and the Kalyāņa Cālukyas.
These friars were master exponents of Nirgrantha philosophy. Through their austerity, strenous penance, simplicity and a transparent personality, they commanded instant respect from one and all. They inspired their devotees by

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their thought, word and deed. Most of the monks, mentioned in these memorial columns, are the preceptors of the Ganga rulers.
Among the pontiffs mentioned, the following are outstanding personalities: Abhayanandipandita, Ajitasenamuni, Ganda-vimuktideva, Gollācārya, Maladhārideva Maunibhattāraka, Meghacandra, Nayanadideva, Nemicandra Siddhāntadeva; Padmanandi-Siddhānta, Sridharadeva, Indranandideva, Siddhasena Bhatāra, Trikālayogi, Tribhuvanacandra Bhațāra. Lot of information apropos of the spiritual pedigree to which they belong is available about these ācāryas from other inscriptions, particularly from Śravanabelago!a.
Some of these friars are either confreres or coevals or belong to the successive generation as teacher and disciples. Among them only a few were the pontiffs of Koppaļa diocese.
SALLEKHANA OF SOMADEVASŪRI
Till to-day the exact date and place of the death of Somadevasūri of the yasas-tilaka was not known. But Koppaļa inscription no. 34 in two parts has, supplied this information; following is the summary of that incomplete inscription.
'Vādibha-Pancānana' was a teacher to poets and to the emperor. A terror to the disputants was Mahendradeva, a disciple of Nemideva, whose disciple was the famous Somadevasūri. Victory to Somadeva, who with his prudence became the emperor of logicians. Even Krsnarāja (Krişna Ill of the Rāştrakūtas) had praised Somadeva (Sūri) who was also the master of Nolambāntaka (Mārasimhadeva II, son of Būtuga II).
Somadeva was conversant with poetry, dramaturgy, Nātyasāstra and grammar. He was a king among poets; never before and never after a talented person, so deserving as Somadeva, existed. Tärkika-cakravarti SomadevaPaņạitadeva died at Koppala on 2-10-984 Thursday.

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Somadevasūri and his classic Yaśas-tilaka are so famous [vide former vice-chancellor of Gowahti university, Krishnakant-Handiqui's Yaśastilaka and Indian culture (1949)]. Somadeva was earlier patronised by Arikesari, vassal of the Rāștrakūtas. Somadevasūri completed his work at Gangadharam [Andhra Pradesh] in the year 959 C.E., The king Arikesari-III, after laving the feet of Somadevasūri, made a gift of a village in the year 966 C.E., to the Subhadhăma-Jinālaya built by his father, Baddega. [SMHD. 2.33. No. 7, Parabhani Copper plate, ś. 888 (A.D. 966) and AIP Karimnagar No. 4 (AR 1966 No. 169)]. Somadevasūri wrote another work called Nīti-Vākyāmrta.
Samadevasūri was a contemporary of Pampa (940 C.E.), another great Jaina poet who has written two EpicsĀdipurāņam and Vikramārjuna Vijayam, Campu-kāvyas in Kannada. Pampa was a court-poet of Arikesari-11, king of the Vemulavāda Cālukyas, feudatories of the Răştrakūtas.
Jina-Vallabha, Pampa's younger brother, commissioned Tribhuvana-Tilaka-Jinālaya in the year C.E. 950. He has also written an inscription, containing Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu verses, engraved on the Rşabhagiri hill at the outskirts of the village Kurkyāl, very near Gangadharam of Somadevsūri [I.A.P. Karimnagar dt, No. 3.C.950 C.E.] On the same Rşabhādri is found, in a bas relief, a huge sculpture of the Cakreśvari and the sculpture of six Jinas, three on the right and three on the left side of Cakreśvari Yaksi, each abovt six feet tall. This shows that the area in and around Gangādharam, associated with Somadeva sūri, was a Jaina centre. Inspite of it, the great ācārya has selected Koppaļa for his final destiny means that Koppaļa was considered an important holy place for Samadhi-marana, on par with Sravaņa-Belago!a, a sacred sepulchral hill.
There is also another charter, included in K.34, mentioned above, which is dated C.E. 1010-11, eulogising the poetic excellence of Somadevasūri. It is rather unfortunate that both the epigraphs, of A.D. 984 and A.D. 1010-11 are fragments and incomplete.

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Corpus of Koppa!a Inscriptions / 67
Baddega alias Bhadradeva alias Vāgaraja (955-65), a scion of the Cālukyas of Vemulavāda olim Lembulapāțaka, and son of Arikesari II (930-55), was a ruler of Sapāda-LaksaKșiti country, i.e., Vemulavāda. At the instance of his rājaguru Somadevasūri of the Gaudasangha, Baddega caused a Jaina temple. Somadevasūri composed and completed Yaśastilaka campū in A.D. 959, at Gangādharā, the residence of Vaddega, a sāmanta of Krişna III, the Rāştrakūța king. Somadevasūri continued to live during the reign of Arikesari Ill, son of Baddega, who granted the author a village for the upkeep and repairs of the Jinālaya caused by Baddega, his father. There are no traces of this Jinālaya at present at Vemulavāda, except the broken pillars and statues of the old temple which are now kept in the Rājarājeśvara temple. On the pedestal of a Jaina image kept in the Rājarājeśvara temple, an inscription of the king
Baddega is engraved (ARIE 1945-52. p.4.]. NIRGRANTHA VESTIGES AROUND KOPPAĻA
A cursory glance at the surrounding Jaina places of piligrimage, will justify the existence of a strong nucleus at Koppa!a. Within the radius of abovt 100 kms from Koppaļa exist a good number of ancient and major settlement, clearly showing that Jainism had a firm foothold in the region. Towards north-west are Aiho!e, Pattadakal, Bādāmi, Annigese, ĀŅūr, Mu!gunda, Laxmeśvar (Puligere), Hungund (Ponnugunda), Gadag, Ron, etc; towards north-east are Lingasūr, Māski (Piriva-Mosangi) etc. These were the nerve centres of the ism of non-absolutism (anekānta). A bronze image from Lingasür (No. 16) has been dated to the sixth century C.E. [Shah, U.P., Jaina Bronzes - a brief survey, in Aspects of Jaina Art and Architecture, eds., U.P. Shah and M.A. Dhaky, Ahmedabad, 1975, pp. 269-98].
Apart from an active movement of the Jaina missionaries, many champions of Jainism were holding sway over these parts for several centuries, and thus Jainsim had received a fillip. An extensive and systematic survey of the scattered Jaina vestiges in these places is still a desideratum. Because of the lack of such a consistent and methodical

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study of the available epigraphical, literary and archeological data, that much remains to be known about the nature of the growth and spread of Nirgrantha religion. This monograph is an attempt in this direction to show that this hoard of nisidhikas, offer indubitable proof of the resurgence and supermacy of Nirgrantha cult at Koppaļa.
Like Śravanabelago!a, Koppaļa was a prestigious and sacred settlement of a host of ācāryas. Therefore, it was a place of rendezvous for Jainas for several centuries. It is not the vandalism by man alone that has anhilated the Jaina vestiges, the ravages of nature has also contributed. Despite all such oddities, whatever is extant now is a solid proof and it provides a panoramic view of what existed once. The whole thing had to be searched, collected, compiled and seen through the Jaina agama perspective. Apparently, the process has been hard and strenuous, but a loving enterprise for which I claim no perfection; however, I should submit that no effort has been spared to present what could be the best for the reader's consumption. I have personally visited time and again many archaeologically important places and collected the valuable data. I have tried to compile the history of anekāntamata, not in isolation but in consonance with the general history of Karnataka. It is nonJaina specialists who have supplied an authentic infrastructure through their commendable pioneering works. The jaina apathy has resulted in the neglect of their ancient's contribution to the overall evolution of Pan Indian culture, during their hay days.
Jaina archaeology, art and history are subjects that have been in a nascent state since long. I trust that the information, rather a bird's eye view of the great store house of Jaina heritage in this book, will evoke and inspire the interested scholars to take up further indepth study, to improve the state of neglect for such a long time. The composite culture of jains can still trace back the traits of its remote prehistorical period. Jaina culture has amply contributed to the enrichment and alround development of Karnataka through ages. As far as possible I have attempted to offer

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Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions / 69
a clear and well defined picture of the Nirgrantha activities based on epigraphical evidences and avoided the course of indulging in surmises.
The bulk of information from the corpus will help to extricate the Jaina from the Hindu and to place them in proper perspective of seperate and independent identity. Usually Jainas are mentioned as if they are an offshoot of the dominant Hindu majority. The Sramana culture had been an independent entity through centuries, but always a part of the main stream. At certain phase there came a decline, a nemises in which the jaina vestiges were mutilated and its rich heritage reduced to dust; albeit, the non-extinct evidences of stone still continue to speak vociferate from the dust.
In brief, Niśidhi columns are dharmā-jaya-stambhas, pillars of the victory of religion. Jainas have been using t word 'Dharma' in a very broader sense, with a special significance to denote the basic innate/intrinsic principle of motion, analogus with the time of Rgveda, as far back as seventh-sixth century B.C. (Srivastava, S: The Antiquarian Significance of some of Jaina philosophy, 'Rūpänjali': 1983: 135)

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Abbreviations
AD: anno domini, In the year of our Lord AP: Andhra Pradesh AR: Annual Report ARIE: Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy ARSIE: Annual Reports on South Indian Epigraphy Bl: Belūr BLR: Benjamin Lewis Rice C: Circa C.E.: Christian Era (Endevaour) Cent: Century Dt: District EC: Epigraphia Carnatika eg: example El: Epigraphia Indica IA: Indian Antiquary IAP: Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh ibid: ibidem, same as above Intro': Introduction IWG: Inscriptions of Western Gangas JBBRAS: Journal of the Bombay Branch of Royal Asiatic Society K: Koppaļa Ka: Kannada KI: Karnatak Inscriptions KJS: Kalburgi Jilleya Śāsangaļu KKA: Kondakunda ācārya or anavaya MAR: Mysore Archaeological Reports Pk: Prakrit R; Revised SB: Śravanabeļago!a SK: Sanskrit Sk: Shikāripura Sh.: Shimoga SII: South Indian Inscriptions Tk: Taluk

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Kannada works of Prof. Nagarajaiah, Hampa
Linguistics 1. Drāvida-bhāṣā-vijñāna (1966) 4th ed. 1997 2. Bhāṣā-vijñāna 1968 3. Bhāratada-bhāṣā-samasye 1968 4. Drāvida-sankhyā-Vācakagaļu 1973 5. Bhāṣe 1973 6. Bhāṣāvijñānigaļu 1977
History and Epigraphy 7. Śāsanagalalli Eradu Vamsagaļu 1995 8. Vişnuvardhana - Vijayāditya - Kirtivarma 1986 9. Kavivara - Kāmadhenu - Attimabbe 1996
Sāntararu: Ondu Adhyayana 1997 11. Koppaļa Śāsanagaļu 1998 12. Śāsanaga!alli Basadigaļu 1998
10.
San
Novels 13. Nāgasri (1965) 4th ed. 1994 14. Savyasāci Pampa (1976) 4th ed 1994
Essays 15. Hesarina Sogasu (1974) 4th ed. 1990 16. Ayda prabandhagaļu (1993) 2nd ed. 1996
18. 19.
Books edited 17. Pampa Bhārata Sangraha 1964 (co-editor)
Jayansipa kävya Sangraha 1967
Bharateśa Vaibhava 1967 (co-editor) 20. Sālva Bhārata 1976 21. Dhanyakumāra carite 1976 22. Nāgakumāra Şatpadi 1978 23.· Ratnākarana Hādugaļu 1979
Apratimavira carite 1975 (co-editor) 25. Neminātha purāņam 1981 (co-editor) 26. Kelavu Nompiya Kathegaļu 1976 27. Candrasāgara Varņiya Kritigaļu 1976
24.

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727 Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
28. Anandara Ayda Kathegalu 1985 29. Sadāśivara Hanneradu Kathegaļu 1985 30. Vaddärādhane 1993 31. Pampa 1998
Biographies 32. Ajātasatru (1968) 2nd ed. 1971 (Co-author) 33. Sambhavasāgara Carite 1968 34. Dr. A. Ne. Upadhye. 1996 35. Gadinādu Gāndhi 1974 (Co-author) 36. Mahāvira 1974 37. Sammeļana - Adhyaksarugaļu 1983 38. Nenapina - Angaladalli Māsti 1993 39. Attimabbe 1994 40. Govinda Pai 1975 (co-author) 41. Basavappa Sāstri 1975 (co-author)
45.
Folklore Karnātaka Jātregaļu 1985
Ākāśa Jānapada 1985 44. Janapada Kalāvidara sūči 1982
Jānapada Adhyana Vicāra Sańkirana 1980 46. Vaddärādhane mattu Jānapada 1997
Children Literature
Nādoja Pampa (1971) 3rd ed. 1972 48. Mahākavi Ranna (1971) 3rd ed. 1972 49. Devarāyana durga 1973 50. Mahāvira 1976
Translation (from English) 51. Atma-Tattva-Vicāra 1971 52. Krisņa Pāņdavaru 1971 53. Bhima-bhakti-parikse 1979 54. Vira-Jinendra Carite (from Hindi) 1975
47.
Research 55. Yakşa-Yaksiyaru 1976 56. Nompiya Kathegaļu 1976

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Appendices / 73
57. Kammatada Kidigaļu 1980 58. Gommata Bahubali 1981 59. Kavi Bandhuvarma: Jijnāse 1993 60. Nāgacandrana Itivrutta (1989) 2nd ed 1992 61. Karnataka mattu Jaina dharma 1981 62. Candrakode 1997 63. Jaina-Kathākośa 1997 (chief-editor)
Literary Criticism 64. Paiyavara Mūru Nāțakgaļu 1967 65. Sāngatya Kavigaļu 1975 66. Phaņikumāra Kathā Sāhitya 1978 67. Vi. Kru. Gokāk, 1984
University Extension Lecture Series 68. Vaddārādhane (1968) 2nd ed 1973 69. C.V. Rāman 1968 70. Mūraneya Mangarasa 1968
English works 71. A History of The Early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism 1999 72. The Later Gangas: Maņdali-Thousand 1999 73. Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions: X-rayed 1999 74. Jina Pārśva Temples in Karnātaka 1999 75. Apropos of Vikramāditya-VI and Jainism 1999
Works translated to other languages Mahāvira 1974: in Kannada, Ten Thousand copies translated to A. Hindi (1975) 3rd ed. 1996, Thirty Thousand copies B. Marāthi (1981) 4th ed. 1996-97, Fourteen Thousand copies C. English 1982, Ten Thousand copies. Attimabbe 1994: Original in Kannada translated to A. Telugu 1998 by Dr. Josyula Sadānandam B. Hindi 1999 by T.R. Jodatti
2.

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Bibliography
Ahir, D.C.
1996 The Status of The Laity in Buddhism, Delhi Carrithers, Michael
1989 Naked Ascetics in Southern Digambar Jainism: Arti
cle in 'Man' (n.s) No. 24. pp. 219-35 Cort, John E
1991 The Svetambar Mūrtipujak Jain Mendicant: Article in
'Man' (n.s.) No. 26. pp. 149-69 Deo, S.B.
1956 History of Jaina Monachism from Inscriptions and Literature, Poona
1960, Jaina Monastic Jurisprudence, Poona Desai, P.B.
1957 Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs, Sholapur Two Nishidhi Inscriptions from Sonda, El. XXVIII. No. 46, pp. 292-98
1954 Koppaļa Jilleya Śāsanagaļu (Śāsana Paricaya) Desai P.B. and Achar, P.S. (eds)
1961 Kannada Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad
Archaeological Series, No. 12 Krishnama Charlu, C.R.
1935 The Kannada Inscriptions of Koppal, Hyderabad Ar
chaeological Series, No. 12 Lawrence A. Babb
1998 Absent Lord - Ascetics and Kings in a Jaina Ritual
Culture, Berkely Kamala Hampana
1975 Maretuhoda Mahā-Kșetragaļu: Article in 'DivyaDhvani, Bangalore 1981 Cămundarāya-purānam (eds) - co-editor, Śeşagiri, K.R., Bangalore
1995 Attimabbe and Chālukyas, Bangalore Nagarajaiah, Hampa
1997-A Sāntararu: Ondu Adhyana, Hombuja 1997-B Candrakode, Hampi 1998-A Koppaļa Śasanagaļu, Mysore 1998-B Śāsanagaļalli Tirthagaļu, Bangalore

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Bibliography / 75
1999-A A History of the Early Ganga Monarchy and
Jainism, Bangalore 1999-B The Later Gangas: Mandali-Thousand, Bangalore 1999-C Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa Inscriptions: X-Rayed,
Bangalore 1999-D Apropos of Vikramāditya-VI and Jainism
1999-E Jina Pārsva Temples in Karnataka, Hombuia Padmanabh S. Jaini
1979 The Jaina Path of Purification, Berkely (U.S.A) Patil, C.S.
1998 Inscriptions of Koppal District, Mysore
1992 Temples of Raichur and Bellary Districts, Mysore Ramesh, K.V. (ed)
1984 Inscriptions of Western Gangas Reddy, Devarakonda
1989, Sosaleya Niśidhi Śāsana: Article in 'ltihāsa-Darsana',
Vol. IV, pp. 8-10 Saletore, B.A
1938 Medaieval Jainism, Bombay Sastry, K.A. Neelakantha
1966 (1958) A History of South India, Oxford Sastry, N.B
1938 Kopana-Koppaļa, Article in Kannada Sāhitya Parishat
Patrike', Vol. XXII-No. 3, Bangalore Settar, S
1982 Sravanabelago!a: An illustrated study 1986 Inviting Death: Historical Experiments on Sepulchral Hill 1990 Persuing Death: Philosophy and Practice of Volun
tary Termination of Life Tukol, T.K
1976 Sallekhanā is not suicide, Bangalore Hanumakshi, Gogi
1996 (ed) Kalburgi Jilleya Śāsangaļu

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1.
2.
3.
4.
667
5.
6.
7.
VOLUMES
Corpus of Kadamba Inscriptions, (ed) Gopal, B.R. Epigraphia Carnatika, Old and Revised
Epigraphia Indica
Indian Antiquary
Karnatak Inscriptions
Inscriptions of Western Gangas, (ed) Ramesh, K.V. Nirgrantha, Vol. III (eds) M.A. Dhaky and Jitendra - B. Shah 1997.

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Drof. Nagarajaiah, Hampa, one of the major litterateurs of Karnataka, has authored more than 70 books in Kannada and English, on varied subjects including linguistics, history and epigraphy, textual criticism, folklore, biography, translation, children literature and Jainism. Some of his books have been translated to English, Hindi, Marathi and Telugu. He has taught under-graduate and post-graduate classes for 37 1/2 years. He has served Kannada Sahitya Parishat as secretary (8 years) and president (8 years). With 'Hampana' as his nom de plume, he is a recipient of a number of state and national awards. He has presented papers at the national and inter-national congress and delivered endowment lectures at various Universities. Contemporary men of letters have honoured 'hampana' by presenting five felicitatory volumes. Dr. Nagarajaiah's contribution to the study of Jainology is voluminous and significant. Rs. 125/ ISBN: 81-87321-18-0 ANKITA PUSTAKA 53, Shamsingh Complex, Gandhibazar Main Road Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560 004, Karnataka, INDIA 080-699 2014 (0) 080-6549633 (R)