Comprehensive History Of Jainism

SR No.: 022803
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 28 MB

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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
The first king of this dynasty of whose reign we have definite Jaina records is Madhava III (sometimes called Madhava II). One inscription 108 of his reign has been discovered from Nonamangala (Kolar district). This is dated in the thirteenth year of his reign. As is well-known, his undated Penukonda plate inscription109 is assigned to C. AD 475 by Fleet. That inscription further informs us that he was installed on the throne by his Pallava overlord Skandavarman, the son of Simhavarman I, so we have to assign Madhava III to the last quarter of the fifth century AD. This inscription discloses the name of Acarya Viradeva and refers to a Jaina temple erected by the monks of the Mulasamgha at Pebbolala grāma of Mudukottūra visaya. The temple was apparently situated in Kolar district of Karnataka. The king Madhava, we are told, granted to this temple the village of Kumarapura along with some other land which was apparently situated near the village. It is apparent that the temple mentioned here was built before the fifth century AD, the date of this inscription; but how long before, we cannot guess. The epithets bestowed on the Jaina guru Viradeva reveal that he was held in highest esteem by Madhava III. It is also interesting to note that the grant was made in the bright fortnight of Phalguna, the time for the great Aṣṭähnikā festival. Madhava III, however, in spite of his fondness for the Jaina religion, was a tolerant king, as is evident from his grants made to other religious sects, including Buddhists.110
The next king, Avinīta Konkanivarman, had a long rule and may be assigned to the first half of the sixth century AD. Three inscriptions of his reign are Jaina grants, although the genuineness of one has been questioned. The earliest is a Nonamangala (Kolar district) grant, , dated in the first year of his reign. We are told that the king, on the advice of his preceptor, parama arhat, Vijayakirti whose fame had pervaded all regions granted land to the Uranur Arhat temple which was established by Candranandin and others. The same inscription refers to another Jaina temple called Perur Eväni Adigal Arhat temple. Both these temples were apparently situated in the Kolar district. It is interesting to note that the Jaina saint, Vijayakirti in this inscription is represented as the preceptor (upadhyaya) of the king. Acarya Candranandin of Mulasamgha apparently flourished before Acārya Vijayakirti.
The second Jaina grant of king Avinīta is dated in the twelfth year of his reign,112 an inscription discovered from Hoskote (Bangalore district, Karnataka). It records the grant of land to a