Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

SR No.: 006725
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1989
Total Pages: 170
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

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Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
unlikely to assume that this was to a great extent conducted with the influence of the Răstrakūtas who were staunch followers and great patrons of Jainism. From the Sanjan Copperplate of Amoghavarşa 13 we come to know that Govinda III conquered the kingdoms of Kośala, Kalinga, Vanga, Dahala and Odraka. He extended his empire upto the Himalayas. The Nilgund stone inscription of the same king records that Amoghavarşa was worshipped by the rulers of Anga, Vanga and Magadha.114 The Rāstrakūta hegemony continued in this part till the time of Krsna III. In the Deoli Grant of Krsna-III, Krsna-II is said to have been worshipped by the Angas, Magadhas and others.115 On the basis of a copperplate grant at a much later date (AD 1076) it is proved that there was a Rästrakūta principality in Orissa. About the plate D.C. Sircar observes: “The Rāstrakūța copperplate inscription in question was found from a village near Bāngarh in the Sambalpur district. It was issued in the year 56 from Vāgharākotta by a Rāstrakūta ruler of feudatory rank named Parāchakraśalya who was the son of Dha (Dhyamsaka and the grandson of Rāņaka Chāmaravigraha.”:116 It is probable that after their invasion the Rāştrakūtas left some of the adventurers in their army to carve out small principalities in Orissa."17 They followed Jainism as their religion and revived its existence for sometimes.
While mentioning various other reasons for the decline of Jainism in India in general it may be noted that in Jainism, we have also a number of deities assimilated in the pantheon which bear a close similarity with some of the divinities in Brâhmanical faith. These deities are no doubt later absorptions in the sect from orthodox Hinduism with modified attributes and iconography. But they have an important place in the hierarchy of gods in Jainism with definite and important functions assigned to them. Hindu gods are usually portrayed in the Jaina temples in the form of small figures before the portrayals of tirthankaras and siddhas. Thus, while in Jainism the twenty-four tirthankaras, from the highest object of worship with the Sāsana-devatās, showing important and interesting iconography for each one of them with a religious legend mostly forming the background, there are others who partaking of the character of Yakşas and divinities have been accepted as popular deities in Jainism.118 Earlier we have mentioned that every tirthankaras has his own goddess-messenger, connecting him with the world of the mortals. Goddess Padmavati is thus associat.