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Gommatasara, Jiva-kand needle-pricked characters on palm-leaves in the Jain temple at Mùdbidri, South Canara. The major part of Gommatasara is based on Dhavala, which was composed by Âchârya Bhutabali about 7th century after Lord Mahâvira.
Châmund Raya was also called Râjâ Gommața most probably on account of his great devotion to Shri Gommata Deva or Lord Mahavira. As a compliment to the Great questioner, the compilation has been called Gommațasára after his name.
Châmunda Râya was a brave general and a great minister of the Jain King Rajamalla who reigned from 974 to 984 A. C. (after Christ), and belonged to the Ganga dynasty.*
The ancestors of this Jaina dynasty ruled at Ayodhyâ, and were descended from the ancient Ikṣwâku family, founded by Rişabhadeva, the first Tîrthamkara. Once it so happened, that Vijaya Mahâ Devî, wife of Râjâ Bharata, a descendant of the family, while pregnant, went to take a bath in the Ganges. A son was born to her there, and was on account of this circumstance, named Ganga Datta. He became a renowned King and the Dynasty was called Ganga-Vamsa after his name. In this dynasty Mahârâja Visņu Gopa flourished at Ahichủetrapore (near Bareily, U. P.). He had two sons from his wife Prithvimati, named Bhâgadatta and Śrî Datta. Bhaga Datta went to the Kalinga country (near Orissa), ruled there and established the Kalinga Ganga dynasty. Shrî Datta continued to rule at Ahichhetra, Râjâ Padma Nâbha was a descendent of his. He had two sons named Rama and Lakşman. In consequence of some dispute with Râjâ Mahipal of Ujjain (Mâlvâ), he had to leave Ahichủetra for Deccan with his sons, whose names he changed to Didiga and Madhava. They went to Perur in District Codappa in the Madras Presidency and offered respects to the learned and spiritually advanced Acharya Simhanandî, who bestowed spiritual blessings on them. They established their power near Mysore in the second century after Christ. The 21st king in descent from Madhava who commenced to rule in 103 A. C. was Râjâ Malla II.
Châmunda Râya belonged to the clan of Brahma Kșatriya. He won many battles and received many titles, like Samara-Dhurandhara "the leader in battle”, Vîra Mârtanda, “the sun among the brave”, Raņa Raja Simha, "a great Lion in battle”, Vairî Kula Kâla Danda, “the sceptre of death for the hosts of enemies”, Bhuja Mârtanda, "the sun among the powerfull-armed,” Samara Parśurâma, "Parasurama in battle”, Satya Yudhisthira, “Yudhisthira in speaking truth”. He was a great scholar also. He wrote a commentaryt on Gommatasára, in Canarese language in presence of the author Nemi Chandra Siddhanta Chakravarti. He also composed Châmunda Raya Purana in Canarese and Charitrasára, a treatise on the practices of ascetics in Samskrit.
Appreciative mention of Râjâ Chámunda Râya has been made by the
*Supra Bk. I, pp. 1-12 Keśava Varņi has based his Commentary on Gommațasara on this work.
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