Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II

SR No.: 002003
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Aseem Kumar Chaterjee
Publisher: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 414
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Religion
File Size: 19 MB

Page 117

JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
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or Bijjala. But we have evidences to show that in the 2nd half of the 12th century, the Brāhmanical Hindus, particularly the Saivas, were becoming increasingly hostile towards the Jains. Desai186 has drawn our attention to two more inscriptions, which prove that the Jains became the targets of attack in the 12th century. The first epigraph 187, found from Annigeri of Dharwar district (Navalgund Taluk), dated 1184 A.D., of the reign of Someśvara IV, describes one śaiva feudatory chief, called Vira Goggideva, as an "eagle to the Jaina snake' and as a 'hunter to the wild beasts, which are Jains', and as a 'fire to the Jaina scriptures' (Jaināgama dhūmaketu) and as 'god of death to those, who professed the Jaina creed'. There is, therefore, little doubt that this Goggideva, a staunch Saiva, like Ekāntada Rāmayya, did everything to damage the fair reputation of the Jain saints in Karnatak. The second inscription 168, referred to by Desai, of the same date, i.e. 1184 A.D., also of the reign of Someśvara IV, mentions Viruparasa, Viradāsa and other Saiva devotees, who are described as the 'conflagration to the wild forest of the Jaina creed' and who are represented as having pounded and powdered the Jaina temples." These three inscriptions, therefore, directly prove that the good days of Jainism were practically over by the end of the 12th century. They had to pay a very heavy price for the blind anti-Brāhmaṇism, from the very beginning of their existence, However, this will be discussed elsewhere in this work.
In this connexion, we should also examine the evidence, supplied by the Basavapurāṇa158, a Virašaiva work, which was written probably around 1369 A.D. 160 This text also has several passages, which were inspired by anti-Jain attitude, 161 Basava, was not only against Jainism, but also orthodox Brāhmaṇism, for he did not accept the traditional caste-system of the Hindus.168 However, it is quite interesting to note, that in the epigraph 163, which actually mentions Basava, there is a reference to a Jain shrine, called