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 370

JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA disciples and devotees. Such foot-marks are generally carved at the spot where the revered persons spent a part or last moments of their life ; and inscriptions furnishing details regarding them are incised nearby. This is one way of celebrating the memory of the deceased among the followers of the Jaina faith also and such memorials are termed the Nishidhis.' Thus it becomes clear that the foot-marks on the hill described above perpetuate the memory of the teacher Jață-Singanandi who seems have passed away on the hill, under the vow of Sallökhanā according to the Jaina religious custom. Chāvayya’ who engraved these foot-marks must have been a disciple or devotee of the teacher.
Now who is this Jațā-Singanandi ? An eminent teacher and scholar who is variously styled Jațila, Jatāchārya and Jaţā-Simhanandi is known from literary sources in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada languages. He is the author of a Sanskrit poetical work composed in the classical style, named Varāngacharitam. This work has been lately edited and published by Dr. A. N. Upadhye. It is very likely that Jatā-Singanandi of our epigraph is identical with the teacher Jațā-Simhanandi of the literary fame.
But this proposed identification presents one great difficulty and
hronological disparity. It is proved on substantial grounds that the author Jațā-Simhanandi must have lived by the 7th century A. D.3 But, as seen above, we can not assign a date earlier than the 10th century A. D. to Jațā-Singanandi of this inscription. Still there is a way out of this difficulty as suggested by the learned editor. It is to assume that the memory of the spot where the preceptor Jaļā-Simhanandi breathed his last on the sacred hills of Kopbal was preserved in tradition by the succeeding generations and that a later devotee of the teacher desirous of setting up a memento in his name incised the foot-marks as well as the inscription on the hill.“
TEXT 1 Jata (ā)-Simganamdi āchāryyara padava 2 Chāvayyam māļisidam (u*]
TRANSLATION This foot, i. e., foot marks, of the teacher Jațā-Singanandi, was caused to be made by Chāvayya.
1 Ann. Bh. Or. Res. Inst., Vol. XIV, p. 264. 2 This name might be an abbreviation of Chävuņdayya. 3 Varāngacharitam, Intro. p. 22. 4 Ibid., p 23.