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THE JAINA GAZETTE
Vol. XXVI MADRAS: S WHOLE
No. 1 I JANUARY, 1929. No. 283 PAMPA'S ADI PURANA: (Summary).
BY Prof. R. Tatacharya, M.A., L.T.
(Rights Reseroed). THE poet Pampa : The ancestors of the poet were residents
i of a village near Vengi town in Vengi country. They w re brahmans of Vatsa gotra. Madhava Somayaji, one of the ancestors had made several yagas, and was famous among the brahmanis of Vasanta Kotturu, Nidugundi and Vikramapura. His son Abhinava chandra was famous for his liberal danas. His son Komarayya was celebrated as having mastered the Vedas and Vedangas. To him was born Abhirama. This Abhirama adopted the Jaina religion as the best dharma for the exalted brahman community. His son was the famous Pampa--called Indra or Earth, the ornament of the valsa oamsa, the sweet lark of the forest of Konda Kunda-anvaya. The flag of the Brahman community he became by writing the Adi Purana—30 says Ranna.
Ranna says that Pampa flourished in the Ratta country, But Pampa, in his Vikramarjuna Vijayam, after a glowing description of Banavase, exclaims "How can I ever forget the Southern country I" Therefore, he belonged to Banavase, and for some reason, probably military service, under Arikesari had to live far away from his native land. No doubt, he wrote his works while at Puligere. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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