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JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA (THE EARLY PHASE)
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named after the last Jaina Tirthamkara. It is tempting to identify this tīrtha with the celebrated Jina-Kāñci, but this must for the time being, remain a hypothesis.
Another member of the early Pallava royal family appears in a western Ganga inscription of the twelfth year of the reign of Avinīta, discovered from Hoskote (Bangalore district, Karnataka) as a patroness of the Jaina religion. We are told in this inscription that a devāyatana, dedicated to arhats, was constructed by the mother (janani) of the Pallava overlord (adhirāja) Simhavişnu at the village of Pulligere in Korikunda division (bhāge). We further learn that this temple was meant for the use of of the monks of Yāvanika Samgha (i.e., Yapanīya Samgha). The most crucial passage of the inscription is however that which refers to the fact that the lady (i.e., the mother of Simhavişnu) constructed the Jina temple with a view to enhancing the glory of her husband's family (bhartykulakirtijananyārtham), namely the Pallavas. Her husband was evidently Simhavarman II of the Pallava inscription, referred to above. It further shows that, not only the royal lady herself (cf. ātmanaśca dharmapravardhanārtham), but also members of husband's family nurtured soft corner for the Jaina religion. This inscription is to be placed in c. AD 560 according to my calculation.
The above discussion shows that the Pallavas, in spite of their weakness for traditional Hinduism, had great deference for the Jainas. Let us not forget that, long before the emergence of the Pallavas as a political power, the Jainas had carved for themselves a permanent place in the religious life of south India.
JAINISM IN KARNATAKA AND ANDHRA
Let us now turn our attention to Karnataka which from a fairly early period produced some remarkable Jaina saints. We have already opined that the tradition regarding the migration of the Jainas under Bhadrabahu and Candragupta cannot be accepted at the present state of our knowledge. Besides, the earliest author that refers to Candragupta's conversion to Jainism is Yativrsabha, the author of the Tiloyapannati (early seventh century), who lived nearly 1000 years after Candragupta Maurya, Sravana Belgo!a, which according to the tradition was the place of Candragupta's death, has not produced any inscription which can be dated before AD 600.
The Western Gangas, who ruled in southern Karnataka from the mid-fourth century AD, were great patrons of the Jaina religion and
