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JAINAS CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIAL HISTORY OF ANDHRA PRADESH
describe him as the prominent leader of the Mulasahgha, the fourth in descent from Bhadrabahu and having for his predecessors Guptigupta, Meghanandin and Jinacandra. He founded Balatkaragana. Such a great Jaina scholar, Kundakunda lived on the hill near Konakondla of Anantapur district. A small record from Konakondla village itself supports the above identification by calling it as Kundakundeya-Tirtha5. Now, scholars agree in placing him in the early part of the 1st Century A.D. He is said to have written eighty four Pahudas in Prakrt. Being the author of several works, he must have toured all over the country, disputing other religions. His tours and disputations infused vigour into Jainism and he must have had a large following. His discourses must have left imprint on the minds of the people of Andhra.
Pampa
He is the first great poet known to the Kannadigas, and is also one of the famous Ratnatraya of Kannada literature. He lived in the court of the Vemulavada king; Arikesari II (A.D. 930-955) and also served as a' Commander of the army. He wrote two works, namely Adipurana and Vikramarjunavijayam popularly known as Pampabharata. Though he was a devout follower of Jain faith, he never lost his regard for Vedic culture. He is of firm belief that poetry should spread the message of true religion and culture.
According to Kurkyala inscription6, Pampa's younger brother, Jinavallabha, their father and grandfather named Bhimapayya and Abhimanacandra respectively belonged to the Kammanadu (the present Narsaraopet and Addanki talukas). They are said to have been the Jainas by faith. Further, we are told that the ancestors of Pampa and Jinavallabha left Vengimandalam and migrated to Sabhi-nadu which was then under the rule of the Chalukyas of Vemulavada.
Ponna He was a contemporary of Pampa and flourished in the court of the Rastrakuta Krisna (A.D. 939-967). He also wrote one secular and one religious work namely Ramakatha or Bhuvansikaramabhyudayam and Santipurana. His patron gave him the title of Ubhayakavicakravarti on account of his proficiency as a poet both in Sanskrit and Kanarese. Ponna went to Malkhed from Punganar in Kamma-nadu (Guntur district) for securing royal support. Like Pampa, he was a reputed scholar, writer and a Jaina.
Somadevasuri
He was the second great writer who flourished under the aegis of the Chalukyas of Vemulavada. He was perhaps a north Indian who came to Vemulavada during the time of Vagaraja (A.D. 959) and settled down there. He is said to have written his famous work Yasastilaka in A.D. 959 while his patron was camping with his overlord, Krisna III at Malpad in the Chittoor district. His another work is Nitivakyamrta which is a treatise on
polity. The Nitivakyamrta informs us that he was the younger brother of Mahendradeva and had grand eloquent titles like Syadvadacalasimha (lion on the mountain of Syadvada, Tarkikachakravartin (the emperor of Logicians), Vadibhapancanana (a lion to the elephants; to win the disputants) Vakkallolapayonidhi (an ocean of the stormy eloquence) and Kavikularaja (the king of poets). His Yasastiiaka informs us that Somadeva belonged to the Deva-gana and was the disciple of Yasodeva. His Yasastilaka is encyclopaedic on all possible subjects. We are told in the Parabhani
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