Dravya Sangraha

Author(s): Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarti, Saratchandra Ghoshal
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 39

INTRODUCTION.
XXXIV
preceptor, and therefere contemporary, of Châmunca Râja, in which we have the following verses :
"Let the aphorisms consisting of the Gommata compendium, the Gommata Jina, on the summit of Gommata ITill and the Dakxina Kukkuta Jina (the Southern Kukkuta Jina) constructoil hy Commata Raya, be victorious.
"Let that Gommata by whom the face of the image was constructed which was seen ... by the gods ... and sages, be victorious.'*
The image of Gonmatesvara caused the hill on which it was situated to be called Gommata hill, and Nemichandra uses the words "constructed (af ) by Chamunda Raya." We have alreadly mentioned that the image of Gommatesvara, which was established by Bharata in Paudanapura, came to be known as Kukkutesvara, wlien dragons sprung up around it. The image established by Chamunda Râya came to be called the Southern Kukkuta Jina to distinguish it from the other one which was in the north. Chaminda Raya, hy having this image constructed came to be called Gommata Raya.
From these facts we have not the least doubt that it was Chimunda Râya who had this image constructed. For such a great act he himself came to be known as Gommata Raya, which would have been hardly possible, had it been the fact that he merely discovered the image. Nemichandra, the preceptor of Chamunga Raya, must have been present at the time of the establishment of this imago (for even in Vahuvali Charitra we find that Nemichandra was presont on this occasion, and consequently the words of Nemichandra, supported as they are by the inscription, must be accepted to be conclusive on this point.
The reason why in the works like Vahuvali Charitra, Râjâvalikathe, etc., we find that Châmunda Raya was merely the discoverer of the image, may probably be that the writers of these works desired to ascribe to the image a greater antiquity, causing the image to be considered an object of deeper veneration.
* “गोम्मटसंगहसुत्तं गोम्मटसिहरुवरि गोम्मटजिणे य ।
गोम्मटरायविणिम्मियदखिणकुक्कुडजिणे जयउ॥ जेण विणिम्मिय-पडिमा-चयणं सबसिद्धिदेवेहि ॥ सबपरमोहिजोगिहि दिट्ट सो गोम्मठो जयउ॥
[Gommata-sära. Karma-Kânda, verses 968 and 969).