Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II

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

Page 95

JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
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Maruttuvakudi in Thanjavur district, is dated in the 16th regnal year of that king. It mentions two Jain shrines at Jananāthapuram. An undated epigraph 12 of Kulottunga's reign, mentions an acar ya called Mallisheņa. The epigraph 18 from Karandai in North Arcot, which is dated in Kulottunga's 45th year, mentions a grant for a Jain temple. For his 46th year we have another epigraph from Tirupparuttikundam in Chengalpattu district, which mentions a group of Jain teachers.16 Kovilangalam in Rāmanāthapuram district supplies another epigraph 16 of Kulottunga I, dated in his 48th year. The epigraph proves the popularity of the Digambara religion in this part of Tamil Nadu. It also shows that the Jains of Kumbnur in that district, were quite affluent.
For the reign of Vikramacola (1120-1135), we have two Jain epigraphs, dated in the 13th and the 16th years. The first epigraph"o, discovered from Chengalpattu (Tirupparuttikundam) mentions some grant by a village council for the Trailokyanātha Jain shrine. This shows that even ordinary villagers retained some love and affection for the Digambara religion, as late as the 12th century. The second epigraph 17 of the 16th year, records some grant for the Jina temple at Tirupidamkondai. A Jain epigraph 18 of Kulottunga II has also been discovered from Andhra, which will be discussed elsewhere in this chapter. Another Jain epigraph of the 4th year of this king, has been found from Tirunidamkondai. This inscription mentions some grant for the local Candraprabha (Kaccināyanār) temple, Three Jain Tamil epigraphs of Rājarāja II (1146-1173) are known. All of them have been found from Karandai in North Arcot, The first epigraph20, of his 10th year, records some gift for the local Jain temple. The two other epigraphs of the 10th and the 11th regnal years®1, also record some gifts, For Kulottunga III (1178-1218) we have two inscriptions connected with Jainism. The first one', dated in his 38th year, was discovered from Anandamangalam in