Contribution of Jainas to Sanskrit and Prakrit Literature

Author(s): Vasantkumar Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah, Dinanath Sharma
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad

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Sanskrit-Prakrit Inscriptions of Ancient Gujarat: A Socio-Religious Study
The most outstanding Jain temple erected by a minister of Gujarat is the Neminatha temple, built on Mt. Abu by Tejaḥpāla, the minister of Rāņaka Viradhavala of Dholka, for the spiritual bliss of his wife Anupamadevi and son Lavanyasimha in V. S. 1287 (A. D. 1230-31) as recorded in Mt. Abu stone inscription33. The image was consecrated by Vijayasenasūri of Nagendra gaccha. The Prasasti was composed by poet Someśvaradeva. The provision for snapana and pūjā at the caitya, known as Lunasimha Vasatikā was to be made by the three brothers Malladeva, Vastupala and Tejaḥpāla and their descendants as well as by the family of the parents of Anupamadevī residing at Chandrāvatī. The anniversary of the pratiṣṭhā was to be celebrated for eight days (aṣṭānikā). The five kalyāṇakas of Neminatha were to be celebrated every year by all the śrāvakas residing at Delvada. The local Paramāra king Somasimhadeva granted a village to (the temple of) Neminatha on the very day of the Pratistha.
Thus Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions of Gujarat are the most valuable source for writing and reconstructing the political and the cultural history of Gujarat. These inscriptions provide ample information about Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Buddhist and Jain religions and their religious activities, society, customs, coins and prevailing chronological systems during various periods of the history of Gujarat.
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Annotations :
1. Hultzsch, E., Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum (CII.), Vol. I, pp. 1 ff.
2. Epigraphia Indica (EI), Vol. VIII, pp. 42 ff.
3. EI., Vol. XXVIII, pp. 174 f.
4. Journal of Oriental Institute (JOI), Vol. XII, pp. 173 ff.
5. CII., Vol. III, pp. 56 ff.
6. IA., Vol. V, pp. 206 ff.
7. G. V. Acharya, Historical Inscriptions of Gujarat (HIG), No. 57.
8. Vide, the eulogies of Siläditya IV, Sīlāditya VI, Śīlāditya VII, Jayabhata III and Adityaśakti.
9. The eulogy of Śilāditya VI.
10. Vide the eulogy of Kharagraha II, Śīlāditya VI, Varahadāsa II, Jayabhata IV and Govindaraja.
11. HIG., no. 59A; EI., Vol. XXI, pp. 116 ff.