Book Title: Contribution of Jainas to Sanskrit and Prakrit Literature
Author(s): Vasantkumar Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah, Dinanath Sharma
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad
View full book text
________________
Sanskrit-Prakrit Inscriptions of Ancient Gujarat: A Socio-Religious Study
land issued to temples allude to the purpose of providing for the various items of worship. They also provided for gīta, vadya and nṛtya performances in the temples. The temples mentioned in the grants were dedicated to Śiva, Devis and Aditya.
The Buddhist vihāras (monasteries) afforded lodging to abhyantara (internal) and abhyāgata (visiting) (Bhiksus) and Bhiksunis. The Bhikṣu vihāras at Valabhi were grouped in Duddā-vihāra mandala and Bhiksuņi vihāras in Yakṣaśūra vihāra maṇḍala. The vihāras were built by kings, other members of the royal families, monks, merchants and other householders. The recluses belonged to eighteen nikāyas. Some of them followed the Mahāyāna. The known grants allude to thirteen vihāras in all. The grants of land issued to them were intended to provide for the civara (garments). pinḍadāna (alms), Śayana (bed), Asana (seat) and Bhaiṣajya (medicine) for the worship of Lord Buddha. Dhank copper-plates of king Siläditya I dated Valabhi Sam. 290 (A. D. 609) records the temple of Mahadeva built by Harinatha in the locality of Vatapadra?.
69
The Maitraka grants make no reference to a few Visņu temples, but the royal eulogies contain several references to Visnu and his incarnations. They represent Visnu as Purusottama and also allude to his association with Laksmi. The eulogies of the kings make frequent references to the varaho and Trivikrama forms of Vişņu in the context of regaining the lost land and acquiring new territories. An eulogy contains a reference to the Narasimha form'. Some eulogies make frequent allusions to Krisna and associate him with bāla-krīḍā, the lifting of the hill, the subjugation of the serpent, the acquisition of Dvārakā etc.10.
The cult of sun-worship was another popular cult of the Maitraka period. Maitraka king Dharapaṭṭa professed to be a Parama-Adityabhakta. A grant of Śïläditya I dated Valabhi Sam. 292 (A. D. 611) was issued to a temple of Aditya-deva which was situated in the village of Bhadreyanika in Saurashtra. Kavi copper-plates of Raṣṭrakūta Govindaraja Prabhutavarṣa dated saka 74912 (A. D. 827) records a sun temple named 'Jayaditya' in Kotipura (Kavi).
Una plates of Calukya king Balavarman of South Saurashtra, dated Valabhi Sam. 57413 (A. D. 892) records the sun temple of Tarunaditya on the banks of Kanavīrika river near Jayapur in Naxisapur coryāsī. Ghumli grant of Saindhava king Rāṇaka II1 refers to the temples of Visnu, Sun, Vinayaka and
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org