History of Rastrakutas of Malkhed and Jainism

SR No.: 006719
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 374
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 67

6/The Rāṣṭrakūtas and Jainism
cordial relationship between Gujarat and Karṇāṭaka. The royalty has close contacts with Gujarāta, and a seperate, rather an independent Räṣṭrakūṭa principality was established in Gujarāta, at the time of Kakkarāja-II, uncle of Amōghavarṣa-I.
1.4.1. The cheering that Nirgrantha creed received in medieval Gujarat during the period of the Räsṣṭrakūtas, i.e., between C. E. 808-88, deserves attention and encomium : "some copper-plate records of the Rāṣṭrakūta period mention the existence of certain groups in the Jaina church. For instance, a copper plate grant of 821, belonging to the period of Karkarāja Suvarṇavarṣa, mentions the existence of the Jaina monastic community of the sena and the Mulasanghas along with a Jaina temple and a monastery at Nāgasārikā, identified with modern Navsari" [Ghosh, A. (ed): vol. 1.:31, EI. XXI. pp. 136-44, C. E. 821]. It is interessing to note that the Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Gujarat have used Kannada for the signmanual in the Sanskrit records.
1.4.2. Jaina ācāryas, their congregation and cohorts moved freely between Karṇāṭaka and Gujarāta. Prominent to migrate from Kittur, metropolis city of Punnāța country in Karṇāṭaka, was Punnāța - samgha. Both Jinasena-I who wrote the Jaina Epic Harivamsapurāņa in C. E. 783 at Vardhamanapura (Wardhvan Kathaiwar). Harişeņa composed his magnum opus narrative kavya Bṛhat-kathā-koś in 931-32 at the same place. Vinayapāla alias Vinayakapāla of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty of Kanauj was on the throne. Jinasena-I, Hariṣeņa and Vinayapala were disciples of Punnāta-samgha. King Indrarāja of Kanauj was ruling in the north, Śrivallabha alias Govinda-II (son of Kṛṣṇanṛpa-I in the south, Vatsarāja, king of Avanti, in the East, and Vira Janavaraha in the West ruling over the Sauramandala, i.e., Saurāṣṭra. Therefore, indirectly speaking, the works of Jinasena-I and Hariṣēņa may be considered as the literary product of Karnataka and of Rāṣṭrakūta age.