Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II

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

Page 93

CHAPTER II
JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
( 1000 to 1300 A,D.)
The history of Jainism in South India is practically the history of the Digambara sect; the Svetämbaras never really got any foodhold in areas beyond the Godāvari, However, in the period under review, even the Digambaras were fighting a losing battle in all the areas of South India, with the probable exception of Kannaďa-speaking areas; and even there, there were only a few important pockets, in which they were really powerful. Let us start our account with Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
(i) Jainism in Tamil Nadu and Kerala : We have already seen in our first volume that Jainism was quite popular in several places of Tamil Nadu. However, not many epigraphs are known of the period between 1000-1300 A.D. Let us first discuss the Jain epigraphs of the later period of the reign of Rājarāja I. We have one epigraph”, from Tirumalai, (N. Arcot), dated in the regnal year 21, corresponding to 1005 A.D. This epigraph mentions a Jain teacher, called Guņavira, "whose feet are worshipped by kings". It shows that the Digambara monk Gunavira was influential enough to attract the reverential attention of even Tamil Cola kings. From the same Tirumalai, we have two dated epigraphs of the reign of the next king Rajendra I (1012-1044 A.D.), both of which are found in Tirumalai (N. Arcot district). The first epigraph*, dated in the regnal year 12, corresponds to 1024 A.D. This epigraph records a çift to the god of the Tirumalai temple called Arambhanandin, who acording to Desai“, is no other than Rishabhanātha himself. We further learn from the same epigraph, that formerly a queen of one Pallava Sinnavai, had donated