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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
BUDDHISM IN KASHMIR
2
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
of his queens called Amṛtaprabhā placed a fine statue of Buddha in the vihara built by a queen of Meghavāhana (III. 464). Raṇāditya was succeeded by his son Vikramaditya who was a devotee of Šiva. His minister Galuṇa had a vihāra built in the name of his wife Ratnavali (III. 476). The last king of this line was Bālāditya.
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Lalitäditya Muktapiḍa
(Middle of the 8th century A.C.)
whose
Bālāditya was succeeded by his son-in-law, Durlabhavardhana, queen set up the Anangabhavana-vihāra (IV. 3) referred to by Ou K'ong as Ananda or Ananga vihāra.' The king himself as also his successors were mostly Visnu-worshippers. The noted king of this line was Lalitāditya-Muktāpīḍa who successfully fought against Yasovarman (IV. 134). It was after this war that he created for the better management of his vast dominion a few high offices which were filled up mostly by the Sahis and other princes (IV. 143). He brought under his control a large portion of Northern India as also his neighbouring tribes the Tukhāras, the Bhauṭṭas and the Daradas (IV. 166 f.; cf. I. 312). The king showed his highest veneration to Visnu and then to Siva and last of all to Buddha. He built Visnu and Siva temples and also Buddhist viharas and stūpas (IV. 188, 201-3). He erected the "ever-rich Rājavihāra with a Catuḥśālā (refectory), a large Caitya and placed in it a large image of Buddha (IV. 200). In one of these vihāras lived Bhiksu Sarvajñamitra, the author of Śragdharastotra and a nephew of a king of Kashmir. His chief minister was Cankuna who put up two vihāras, one of which was very lofty and contained golden
I See infra, p. 37.
Stein (II, pp. 302-3) has traced some remains of this vihara at Paraspur. The image was spared by king Harșa. See infra, p. 33.
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