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INTRODUCTION.
XXXI
Ajitasena, who revered Simhanandi and made a vow before the latter that he will not drink milk till he sees the image of Våhuvali. Accompanied by Nemichandra, his mother and numerous soldiers and attendants, Châmundarâja started on his ri's and reached the Vindhragiri (in Sravaņa Belgola). In the night, the Jaina Goddess Kuşmândî (the Yakşini attendant on Neminátha, the twenty-second Tirthan kara) appeared in a dream to Châmundarâja, Nemichandra and Kalika, and told them that it was very difficult to go to Paudanapurî but on that very hill there is an image of Vâbuvali, formerly established by Råvaņa, which will be visible if the hill be cleft by a golden arrow. According to the dream, on the next morning, Châmundarâja stood on the hill with his face towards the south and let loose a golden arrow from his bow. Immediately the mountain was cleft in twain, and an image of Vahuvali became visible. Châmundarâ ja then established and consecrated the image and granted lands for the worship of this image. When king Rajamalla heard of this affair, he conferred the title of "Raya" on Chamunda râja and granted further lands for the regular worship of the image.
In a very recent work, named Râjâvalî-kathe, written by Deva The story in Chandra in the Kannada language, the same story Rajavalī-kathe is repeated, with variations in details. It is there written that Châmunda Råya was a feudatory chief of king Rajamalla. His mother learnt from Adi-purâņa, when this work was being read to her, that in Podanpura there was an image of Vâhuvali. Thereupon she set out with her son to see this image, but on her way on the bill where Bhadrabâhu Svâmi died, she dreamt one night that Padmavati Devi ....!to her and said that there is an image of Vahuvali on that very hill, covered by stones, which was formerly worshipped by Râma, Râvaņa and Mandodarî. On the next morning an arrow was shot and the image of Vahuvali became visible.
Thus, in the legendary accounts of the Jainas, we find that Chamunda Râya was not the person who caused the image to be made, but that there was already an image on the hill which he established and consecrated in the proper way. The high priest at Sravana Belgola had also stated, according to these traditions, that "in ancient times, an image was at this place, self-formed from earth, under the sbape of Gomat Isvara Svâmi which Râvaņa, the monarch of the Raksasas, worshipped to obtain happiness."
