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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
The date, according to Kielhorn, 12is absolutely correct, but it is a later copy of an original copperplate, according to the inscription itself124 and there is no reason to disbelieve this clear statement. The later portion, after 1. 59, refers to the Jaina monks who, lived in the twelfth century.
A number of literary works very clearly prove that Amoghavarșa I was a converted Jaina. Guṇabhadra, the author of the Uttarapurāņa and a contemporary of Amoghavarşa I, asserts that his preceptor Jinasena was a guru of that celebrated Rāștrakūta monarch.125 Altekar refers to the fact that Jinasena in his Pārsvābhyudaya claims himself to be the chief preceptor (paramaguru) of Amoghavarșa. 126 This is however impossible because that poem was written before AD 783 as it is mentioned in Jinasena II's Harivassa composed in Saka 705, and Amoghavarşa ascended the throne only in ad 814 and at that time was a very young. However, another later writer127 asserts that the Pārśvābhyudaya was composed in the court of Amoghavarșa. That Amoghavarsa was a believer in the doctrine of Syādvāda is also repeated in the Gañitasārasaṁgrahal28 of Mahāvīrācārya, who was a contemporary of that monarch. Amoghavarsa himself in his Praśnottararatnamālāl29 pays homage to Vardhamāna. Now, it is definitely known that this work was written by that king. 130 However, it should not be supposed that because of his Jaina leanings, he was in different to Hindu deities; that he was a devotee of Mahālaksmi is known from one of the inscriptions.181
A few contemporary Jaina writers have clearly shown their bias for this great Răstrakūta king. Sākatāyana, a contemporary Jaina grammarian, wrote a commentary on his own grammatical work and named it as Amoghavrtti. This shows his respect for that Rāstrakūta monarch. In that vịtti there is a reference to Amoghavarşa's burning down his enemies (adahadamoghavarsorātīn). 132 Jinasena himself is full of praise for this great Rāșțrakūta monarch.133 Yet another contemporary Jaina writer, Ugrāditya, the author of the medical treatise Kalyanakāraka, 134 which was composed on Mount Rāmagiri, situated in the level piains of Vengi in the country of Trikalinga, refers to the fact that he delivered a discourse on the uselessness of meat diet in the court of Sri Nrpatunga Vallabha Mahārājādhirāja, who is no other than Amoghavarșa I. I should also mention that a few verses of the Kavirājamārga are in praise of Jina. 135 However, in the very beginning of this work, Amoghavarşa has paid glowing tribute to Vişnu, which suggests his equal deference for the
