Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London
Publication Year: 1932
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

Page 258

STATE OF JAINISM DURING THE GUPTA PERIOD "He (1.c. Madra, whose name occurs in the 8th line of the inscription), being alarmed when he observed the whole of this world (to be cver) passing through a succession of changes, acquired for himself a large mass of religious merit (and by lum),-having set up for the sake of final beatitude (and) for the welfare of (al) existing beings, five cxcellent (images ), made of stone, (of) those who led the way in the path of the Arhats who practise religious observances, there was then planted in the ground this most beautiful pillar of stone, tluch resembles the tip of the summit of the best of mountains, (and) which confers fame (upon him)." 2 Thus the Kahaum inscription records that a certain Madra set up five stone images of Adikariris or Tirthankaras, and this is testified by the sculptures of the column itself. Of these the most important are the five naked standing figures, which, according to Dr Bhagwanlal Indraji, represent the five favourite Tirthankaras of the Jainas -- Adinatha, Santinatha, Neminatha, Parsva, and Mahavira. Besides these epigraphucal evidences of the relations between the Guptas and the Jainas, thanks are due to Muni Jinavijaya 4 that his learned exposition of the Kuvalayamala 6 throws a lot of light on the history of the Jainas during the Gupta period Udyotanasuri, the learned author of this piece of the Katha Sahrtya of the Jainas, introduces himself in the body of the book in a manner which is rcally characteristic of the times in which the great Surt lived and had his being. We are told that this interesting Prakt Katha was finished in the year 700 of the Saka era--i.e.in A.D.779. This is the age in which we find innumerable immortal works, where very often Fleet, op cit,p 68, Bhagwanlal Indraji, op cit, p 120 * The exact wording of this part of the inscription 18 as follows for an ATM f it Infri .. ctc Dr Indraji has translated it as follows "Having established five chief Adikarttis (Tirthaukams) in the path of the Ascetio Arhets" I , X, 126 To this the learned scholar makes B note as follows. "Adtharina 'Onginators,' the first who lead in the path, but usually applied to the Tirthankarag See Kalpa-Sutra, Sakrastava नमोत्युण समणस्त भगवो महावीरस परमतित्ययरस्स Sanskrit trang. ATT VAUT MA Eritre a nu"-Id ,p 120,1 16 lind, p 126 Cr Fiect, op cit,p 60 Jinavjaya, JSS,11 , pp 169 1 This is a piece of the narrative literature of the Jains of the eighth century AD It was completed in Jabalipura, situated at present in Marwar, though at one time it was considered to be a part of Gujarat * सगकाले बोलोगे वरिसाण सरहि सहि गएहि / गदिणेणूोहि या अवरपहवेलाए / Ihd, v. 26, P 180 209