Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II

Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chaterjee
Publisher: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd

Page 19

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA
throughout all his dominions, no living being should be put to death on these five days-the 8th and the 10th of the bright and light halves of the month and the Sth of the light half. This shows that Jayasimha was very deeply influenced by the teachings of this particular saint. Another king, who was influenced by this great Śvetāmbara teacher was Pșthvērāja. Śricandra tells us that it was at his suggestion, that sovereign, adorned with a golden pot the Jain temple at Raņastambhapura (Rajasthambore, near Ajmer). This king is identical with the Cāhamāna Śākambharī king of the same name i.e. Prithvirāja I, who is not only mentioned in the Prthvirāja-Vijayake but also in an inscription of V. S. 1162.
Śricandra also gives a long and very poetic description of Abhayadeva's self-imposed death. We are told that even king Jayasimha, accompanied by his court, stood at the western battlements of Anahilavāda, to watch the funeral procession of this monk. After the cremation, the ashes were distributed among the eager people standing around, for protection against fever and evils of every sort. Those who could not get part of the ashes, were fain to be satisfied with part of the soil, on which the pyre had stood. 1 Peterson also records a tradition, according to which Abhayadeva had converted one thousand Brāhmanas to the Jain faith and afterwards caused a temple of Lord Mahāvīra to be built in the city of Medatā (near Ajmer).68
Quite a good number of other Śyetāmbara saints and authors were also honoured by Jayasimha. The most prominent among such saints was Vīrācārya, whose, career has been narrated in the Prabhāvakacarita. 68 According to this account, he was almost a personal friend of Jayasimha Siddharāja ; in his successful career, spanning over a number of years, he scored victories over the Buddhists, Digambaras and some philosophers of orthodox school. A number of celebrated Jain poets and dramatists