Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs

SR No.: 011025
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P B Desai
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 495
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

Page 185

4. JAINISM IN KARNATAKA
159
extraction: She was a devout adherent of the Jaina faith, being a lay disciple of the Kāṇur gana and Koṇḍakundānvaya.
PATASIVARAM : The inhabitants of the village of Patasivaram in the 12th century A. D. must have considered themselves fortunate on account of the presence in their midst of an eminent teacher of the Jaina Law who was an ardent apostle of truth and non-violence. He was as earnest and compassionate in his teachings as he was severe and rigorous in his own studies and incessant religious practices. This was the illustrious Padmaprabha Maladharidēva, disciple of Viranandi Siddhanta-Chakravarti, of the Mula Samgha, Desi gana and Pustaka gachchha. The damaged record on the pillar standing at the southern entrance into the village describes at length the great qualities of this teacher.
PADMAPRABHA MALADHARI: The preceptor Padmaprabha was constantly engaged in contemplating the supreme truth which is immutable, boundless and self-existent. He never indulged in discussions that would hurt the feelings of others. The epigraph gives the following details of date: Saka 1107, Viśvāvasu, Phalguna śu. 4, Bharani, Monday, end of the first naḍi after midnight. The equivalent of this date would be A. D. 1185, February 24, Monday. On this day and at the time specified, Padmaprabha Maladhari was liberated from this worldly bondage i. e., passed away. This information is contained in a verse in the Mahasragdhara metre in the inscription (lines 30-34) of published text which needs emendation. The text emended with the help of the original impressions of the epigraph would read thus: सकवर्ष सदुक्षिति ११०७ परिमितिविश्वावसुप्रान्तफाल्गुumamega 1 ugefifafugazzvi diwarıð um- i fueznedesingle fuisalamocjaaquari gस्तकगच्छं मूलसंघ यतिपतिनुतदेसीगणं मुक्तनादं ॥
The inscription belongs to the reign of the Western Chalukya king Sōmesvara IV. At this time Tribhuvanamalla Bhōgadeva Chōla Maharaja of the Nolamba-Pallava family, was the feudatory governor administering the province from his headquarters at Henjeru. The composition on the second face of the pillar seems to have contained the genealogical account of the spiritual line of this teacher in Sanskrit verse; but unfortunately it is obliterated. We may however note here the occurrence of the name Kirtishēņa of a teacher.
Padmaprabha Maladhari is a memorable personality in the Jaina holy literature. He is the author of a commentary known as Tatparya-vṛitti on the treatise Niyamasara of Kopḍakundacharya. The commentator
18. I. I., Vol. IX, pt. i, No. 278.