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JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA (AD 600-1000)
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Before turning my attention to the Andhra Pradesh I must refer to two famous places now included in Karnataka, which were associated with Jainism from early times. The first place is Sravana Belgola is Hassan district, which was associated with Jainism from at least AD 600. The earliest inscription, discovered from this celebrated centre of Jainism, is dated in ad 600.84 This inscription mentions ancient Jaina saints like Gautaima Ganadhara, Lohārya, Jambu, Vişnudeva, Aparājita, Govardhana, Bhadrabāhu, Viśākha, Prosthila, Krttikārya, Jayanāman, Siddhārtha, Dhștişeņa, Buddhila, and other teachers. It then mentions that Prabhācandra, an eminent Jaina divine, attained samadhi or nirvāņa at Kațavapra or Candragiri hill of Belgola. After him 700 more saints likewise attained nirvana on the same hill. It has been suggested that the inscription on the stone was made long after Pabhācandra's death, and its palaeography suggests that it was inscribed in c. AD 600.
Quite a number of inscriptions, discovered from the same hill, belong to the period between AD 650 and 800. They record85 the samadhi of a few prominent Jaina saints including one female ascetic. 8' No. 11 records the samadhi of one Acārya Aristanemi (C. AD 650) and mentions one king Dindika as witness, but he cannot however be correctly identified. No. 21 mentions a monk called Aksayakirti, who is described as a resident of Southern Madhura (Madura), which shows that this old city continued as a leading Jaina centre even after ad 600. We have already discussed a few historical inscriptions of Sravana Belgola in connection with the discussion of the state of Jainism during the rule of the western Gangas. A few others will be discussed in connection with the Rāstrakūtas.
The second Jaina holy place of Karnataka was Kopaņa or Kopbal in modern Raichur district. This site has yielded a number of Jaina inscriptions which show that from the seventh century onwards, it was known as a celebrated Jaina tirtha. It has been suggested that Kopana should be identified with Kung-kan-na-pu-lo of Yuan Chwang, 87 which according to that pilgrim, was situated some 2000 li north of Dravida country. The earliest epigraphic reference to this town is found in an inscription 88 of the time of the Bādāmi Calukya king Vijayaditya who reigned from AD 696 to 733. There is however nothing in that epigraph to show that it was then considered a Jaina sacred place. The earliest Jaina inscription89 from the ere is dated Saka 803, corresponding to AD 881. It states that the
