Political History of Northern India

SR No.: 001744
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gulabchandra Chaudhary
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1954
Total Pages: 482
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Culture
File Size: 10 MB

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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
pārti he constructed the Great Lake (Mahasara). On the outskirts of this Lake were Satrašalas for the Brāhmaṇas for sacrificial purposes, one hundred and eight temples of goddesses, a temple of Daśavatāra of Vişnu, Mathas to house students and teachers well-versed in different branches of learning.
We have separate descriptions of all these four excellent things in the Jain prabandhas. The Prabandha-cintamani tells us that Jayasimha built the Rudra Mahākāla-prāsāda twenty-three hands in measurement; perhaps it was the inner hall in which the principal image was seated. In the temple, before the image of god Siva, there were statues of aśvapatis, gajapatis, narapatis and in front of these statues the statue of Jayasimha was erected praying with folded hands so that the temple might never suffer any destruction. The same authority further relates that when the flag was hoisted on that temple, the flags from the Jain temples were lowered.
An unpublished prabandha informs us that minister Aliga was in charge of building the Rudra Mahālaya. He also built there a Rājavihāra temple at his own expense. Thereupon the king became pleased with him and granted him several villages in V.E. 1198 (A.D. 1142). From this statement we may infer that Jayasimha might have commenced the building of Rudra Mahālaya after his conquest of Mālava in V.E. 1192 (A.D. 1136) and it took him six years to complete the work.4
Great Lake: The Sukrta-samkirtana calls it Siddhasara. According to other Jain authorities like the Vasanta-vilasa, Moharaja-parajaya and Hammira-mada-mardana there was only one lake near Anahillapāțaņa constructed by Durlabharāja. According to the Sarasvati-purana this Durlabha lake once dried up. Jayasimha was very anxious to get it filled with water again. The Prabhavaka-carita states that the poet Srīpāla wrote a praśasti of Durlabharāja-sara (lake) while the Prabandha-cintāmaņi states that he wrote that of Sahasralinga lake.? The poet Śrīpāla, un
1 Ibid., V. 114. 2 Ibid., V. 115–122.
3 SJGM., I, p. 61: TEFTANT STAIC FIZHI 17 g 3991 गजपति नरपति....मृर्ती कारयित्वा तत्पुरो योजिताञ्जलिं स्वां मूर्ति निर्माप्य देशभंगेऽपि तान् प्रासादस्याभों याचितवान् तस्य प्रासादस्य ध्वजारोपप्रस्तावे सर्वेषामपि जैनप्रासादानां पताकावरोहं कारितवान् ।
4 Kāryānuśāsana, Introduction, p. clxxxviii 5 Canto II, V. 35: Tilfa fugat: RTI 6 D. K. Sāstrī, GMRI., I, p. 258. ? SJGM., XIII, p. 190, V. 205: BESHATITE NEGATS, etc.
(ii) Ibid., I, p. 61: stal T HaftaTTa falari orcit etc.