Book Title: Comprehensive History Of Jainism
Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 184
________________ 158 A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM Pulakesin I himself was a Jaina patron is known from the spurious Altem record, which has already been discussed. We should further remember that the record under discussion was inscribed in the tenth century AD, and possibly represents a later copy of an original copperplate. '' We have already seen that in a genuine copperplate of about AD 600, a few Sendra kings are mentioned and they bear Sakti-ending names, and this inscription too refers to two Sendra kings who bear similar names. This probably shows that the contents of the present record are accurate. Another long stone tablet from the same site, namely Laksmeśvara, has several interesting inscriptions." All the records are later copies of original copperplate or stone inscriptions. The earliest inscriptionrefers to the reign of Vinayāditya's fifth or seventh regnal year corresponding to Saka 608 i.e., AD 686. It records a grant to an ācārya of Mūlasamgha anvaya and Devagaṇa sect. The king was at that time stationed at Raktapura. Then we must refer to another part of the same stone tablet which is dated in the thirtyfourth year of Vijayāditya,'s corresponding to Saka 651 when he was encamped at Raktapura. The village which was given away as grant was situated near the town Pulikara. The donee was his father's priest Udayadevapandita, also called Niravadyapandita, who was the homepupil of Śri Pūjyapāda and belonged to the Devagaņa sect of Mūlasamgha. We are further told that the grant was made for the benefit of the temple of Sankha Jinendra at the city of Pulikara, the present Lakşmeśvara. I have already said that the inscriptions of Lakşmesvara are later copies of earlier records, which is why they are regarded as being spurious. There is however no reason why we should disbelieve their contents. The Jaina priest Udayadevapaņdita was surely looked upon with respect by the Cālukyan king Vijayāditya. It is apparent from the inscription that Udayadevapaņdita was not the immediate pupil of Pūjyapāda but definitely belonged to his anvaya. It is quite likely that this Pūjyapada was the well-known Jaina savant of the same name who lived a few centuries before Vijayāditya's time. Then I must mention yet another inscription from the same place." It belongs to the time of Vikramāditya II and gives the date Śaka 656 corresponding to AD 734. We are told that in the second year of king Vikramāditya Sankhatirthavasati of the city of Pulikara (Puligere of other inscriptions) and the temple called White Jinālaya were embellished and repaired and that certain land was given to

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360