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JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
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epigraph 374, from the same place, dated 1120 A.D., describes him “as a moon in raising the volume of the milk ocear, the Jain religion”. The same epigraph tells us that his father's guru was Kanakanandi of Muļļur (Coorg). From another epigraph 275, of this place, we learn that Gangarāja, built the town of Jinanāthapura (one mile from Belgola). It appears that he obtained permission from Vishnuvardhana, to make a grant for the temple. Two epigraphs 276, state that this valiant general obtained from Vishnuvardhana, the village of Parama and granted to the Jain temples, erected by his mother Pocaladevi and his wife Lakshmidevī, both of whom were great Jain lay devotees. Three epigraphs277, from the same place (i.e. Belgula), state that Gangarāja, after his victory at Talakad. obtained the village of Govindavāļi from the king (Vishnuvardhana) and granted it for the worship of Gommateśvara. This grant was made, after washing the feet of his guru śubhacandra Siddhāntadeva.
A short epigraph 278, from Belgola, states that ar epitaph was set up by Lakshmi, the wife of Gangarāja, to commemorate the death of her brother Bücana, a disciple of śubhacandra. Another epitaphạ70, was set up by Gangarāja and Lakshmi in 1115 A.D., to commemorate the death of Meghacandra, a prominent Jain monk, who had a great disciple in Prabhācandra Siddhāntadeva. From the same epigraph, we learn, that by restoring innumerable Jain temples, in all places, to their former condition, be converted the Gangavādi, 96000, into Kopana (a great Jain tiriha). This particular expression, regarding Gangarāja, occurs in several epigraphs 80, including one from Halebid, already noted.381
Three other epigraphs888, from Belgola, record the setting up of epigraphs by Gangarāja, for his mother Pocikabbe, his wife Lakshmi and guru Śubbacandra, who died in 1120, 1121 and 1123 A.D., respectively. Some of
