________________
INTRODUCTION.
xxxiii
is "a compendium of Jaina history, legends and chronology, drawn up early in the present century for Devîramma, a lady of the Mysore royal family, by Devachandra of the Jaina establishment at Maleyûr" This work also cannot, therefore, be called to be an authority for determining the question in hand. In Râjâvalî-kathe and in Sthala-purâna, the authors made no attempt to be accurate on historical points, for the subject matter in their hands was merely a collection of legends and fables. It is true that there are historical materials underlying these stories, but these should not be taken on trust as they are, but we should test the accuracy of the same by comparing these with other and more trustworthy records before ive could accept them as matters of history. To mention one among many inaccuracies in Sthala-purâņa, we may quote the line" Châmunda RÂya, king of Dakşina Madura and the descendant of Jaina Ksatri Pandu,"+ from which we shall understand how in the legendary accounts Châmunda Røya, the minister, came to be described as the king of Madura.
Further, if there had not been any contemporary and authentic records to prove who caused the image to be constructed, we might have doubted, on the basis of these traditionary accounts, that Châmunda Râya erected this statue. But, fortunately for us, there are records to prore that it was Châmunda Râya and no other who had the image of Gommateśvara constructed.
First, there is the inscription fhich we have already quoted under the feet of the image in which it is distinctly stated that Châmunda Raja" made" the image. Next, in an inscription, dated about 1180 A. D. (see page X), we have seen that Châmunda Raya had this image made by bis own effort. These are supported by a work, named Gommata-sâra, composed by Nemichandra, the
* Lewis Rice-Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola : Introduction, page 8 (1889).
+ Extract taken from "Sthala-purana" by Capt. Mackenzie (Indian Antiquary, Vol. II, page 180). It may also be mentioned that in the Pattavali of Sena gana, we have "Chimundaraya, the king of the Southern Tailanga and Karnataka, the crest jewel of the Ksatriya raco, a resident of the city of Daksina Madhurå, for whose awakening of soul) the image of Vahuvali Gommata Srami (was efficacious) and consecrated by Ajsta-sena Bhattaraka." ["requATTATIT Trie g a TRICIA FUEक्षिणतैलङ्गकोटकदेशाधिपतिचामुण्डराय-प्रतिबोधक-बाहुबलिप्रतिविम्बगोमट्ट
Farfagfagram-ffafhaagit TUA' ] (THI!Esiljahabereli askară. Parti 1, No. I (1912), page 38.
--nion
RECEVED
