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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
century AD. An earlier Jaina inscription from M.P., giving the date AD 875, has also been discovered.
From the literary sources we get more meaningful and extensive information regarding the state of Jainism in M.P. before ad 1000. The existence of a temple, dedicated to Pārsvanātha at Dhārā, the famous capital of the Paramāras, is disclosed by the Darsanasāra's of Devasena, which was composed in that shrine in vs 990 corresponding to AD 933. It may be suggested that the ruler of Dhārā at that time was Vairisimha, the father of Harsa Siyaka of the Harsola grant.“ The temple of Pārsva, mentioned by Devasena, was evidently a Digambara shrine and probably shows that soon after the foundation of this city, the Digambaras were permitted to build their temples there. Remnants of ruined Jaina temples have been noticed at Dhar,70 the ancient Dhārā. The Muslims destroyed both the Hindu and Jaina temples there."
During the rule of Harșa Sīyaka, the Jainas enjoyed great popularity in the Paramāra kingdom. A number of Jaina writers flourished during his rule and during that of his successor Muñja. During the closing period of the rule of Harsa Siyaka the celebrated Jaina writer Dhanapāla composed his Päiyalacchi in vs 1029 corresponding to AD 1072.72 We are told by the poet that he composed this text for his sister Sundari at Dhārā. From the later works like the Prabhāvakacarita and Prabandhacintāmaņi we learn that his grandfather, Devarși, was originally a Brāhmaṇa of Sānkāśya and later migrated to Ujjayini." Dhanapāla, we are told, became a Jaina under the influence of his younger brother Sobhana. The year in which Dhanapāla prepared his Pāiyalacchi, the Rāstrakūţa capital Mānyakheța was ransacked by the army of the Mālava king. From the Tilakamañjarī, which was composed during the rule of Bhoja, we learn that he was honoured by king Muñja who conferred upon him the title of Sarasvati.74 It thus appears that Dhanapāla was an honourable member of the Paramāra royal court during the reign of the three kings, namely Harșa Sīyaka, Vākpati Muñja, and Bhoja.
Another poet who flourished in the second half of the tenth century during the reign of the Paramāra kings was Mahāsenasūri, belonging to Lāțavargata Samgha. His guru was Guņākarasena, who was a disciple of Jayasena. From a short prasasti discovered from Kārañjā Jaina bhāndāra, we learn that the poet, who was the author of the Pradyumnacaritakāvya, 75 was honoured by no less a person than Muñja. Subsequently a high official of Muñja's brother,
