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

Page 51

THE DYNASTIES OF MADHYADESA
of Bengal and was much respected court-poet in the court of Dharmapāla of Bengal himself. He felt at one time that Dharmapāla did not show him the respect due to his position because of the intrigues of Vardhanakuñjara, a Buddhist teacher and controversialist who had some influence with Dharmapāla. Therefore he retired from Bengal and reached the court of Amarāja the son and successor of Yasovarman, where he became very soon a favourite of king Amarāja and Bappabhattisūri. He lived at the court as a highly honoured poet, and composed during his stay there two poems, Gauda Bandha (a different work from Gaudavadha) and Madra-mahi-vijaya (conquest of Madra country, East Punjab), both of them apparently in honour of Ama, who doubled his enmity in consequence. After some time, feeling dissatisfied that Ama was not up to the height of his position in respect of his conduct he retired to Mathurā. He was a staunch Vaisnava and was about to put an end to himself by a process of religious starvation when he was rescued from imminent death by Bappabhatti's intervention. It is said that he became a convert to Jainisin and after undergoing severe penances in Mathurā voluntarily starved himself to death (anaśana) in accordance with the Jain rule for men desirous of making a good end. These are the details regarding the life of Väkpatirāja which have not been available from other sources. As regards the details of this tradition, we have no other sources of verification and confirmation. But it must be said that there is nothing which goes against this tradition. A not very long duration of time between the events described and the recording of these traditions is certainly in favour of the correctness of the account.
Ama Nāgāvaloka: According to the Jain sources Yaśovarman was succeeded by his son Ama and Ama by his son Dunduka and Dunduka by his son Bhoja. We know nothing about these successors of Yasovarman from other sources and, therefore, it gives special importance to the Jain sources. Almost all Jain works written on the life of Bappabhattisūri unanimously associate Süri with king Ama," and state that Yasovarman was succeeded by his son Āma, born of Yaśodevi during the temporary exile caused by the
1 Ibid., XI, (SJGM, XIII), 463-477. 2 Ibid., XX, (SJGM, XVII), pp. 99-105. 3 (i) Pattāvali-Samuccaya, edited by Muni Darśanvijaya, p. 52 -- in the
Tapagaccha Pattavali: येनामराजा प्रतिबोधितः (ii) Jinaprabhasūri, Vividhateerthakalpa, (SJGM, X), p. 19:
आमरायसेविय कमकमलेण सिरिबप्पभट्टसरिणा। (iii) A Patļāvali by Ravivardhana gani, V.E. 1739.