Jain Siddhant Bhaskar

SR No.: 034880
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hiralal Professor and Others
Publisher: Jain Siddhant Bhavan
Publication Year: 1938
Total Pages: 122
Language: Hindi
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 9 MB

Page 98

60
JAINA ANTIQUARY.
| Vol. III
Tîrthankara graced this country by his noble and pious presence, king Vidyudrāj ruled over Podanapura. His son Vidyutprabha was well-versed in the notorious art of theft and had his headquarters at Rājagraha.
Even the later Jain authors such as Sakalakîrti in his “ Adipurâna " and Doddhiya in his " Bhujabalicarit" mention Podanapura as the capital of Vāhubali. The latter states that Bhujabali (Váhu. bali) the brother of Bharata was the ruler of Podanapura. Owing to some misunderstanding there was a battle between the two brothers, in which Bharata was defeated. Bhujabali however renounced the kingdom and became an ascetic. Bharata had a golden statue of Bhujabali made and set up there, which once became infested with Kukkuta Sarpas. A Jain teacher, named Jinasena, who visited southern Madhura, gave an account of the image at Podanapura to Kālaladevî, mother of Chamundarāya, who vowed that she would not taste milk until she saw Gommata. Being informed of this by his wife Ajitādevi, Chamundarāya set out with his mother on his journey to Podanapura. While staying at Śravanabelgola he came to know about the Kukkuța Sarpas. Hence he dropped his journey and set a colossal of Vahubali there. S
The Jaina Kanarese literature also possess many a work such as Aditpurāņa, Bharatesa-vaibhava, Bhujabaliśataka, Gommațeśvaracharit, Rājāvalikathe and Sthalapurāņa, which give the story of Vāhubali with its all details and name Podanapura as his capital, where emperor Bharata erected a colossal of his brother when he became a great ascetic. 4 Inscription No. 234 of about 1180 at Śravanabelgola which is in the form of a short Kannada poem in praise of Gommața states that Bhujabali was the ruler of Podanapura, who retiring from the world performed penances and became a Kevali. Vāhubali or Bhujabali attained such eminence by his
1. Ibid. 76, 51-55 2. प्राहिणोदुत्तमं दूतं नीतिशास्त्रविशारदम् ।
स ततो दिवसैः कैञ्चिद्गत्वा तत्पोदनं पुरम् ॥१६॥ 3. Narasimhachara Srava!a Belgola pp. 10–11: 4. Ibid, p. 10.