Gommatasara Jiva Kanda

Author(s): Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarti, J L Jaini
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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souls in various conditions of life from the fine completely undevelopable vegetable bodied soul, to the fully developed rational fivesensed beings. The answers are based on the ancient manuscripts, Dhayala, Jaya Dhavala and Mahá Dhavala, still preserved in needle pricked characters on palm-leaves in the Jain temple at Müdbidri, South Canara, India. The major part of Gommațasára is based on Dhavala, which was composed by Achárya Bhútabali about 7th century after Lord Mahávíra.
Chámund Raya was also called Rájá Gommata most probably on account of his great devotion to Shri Gommața Deva or Lord Mahávíra. As a complement to the Great questioner, the compilation has been called Gommațasára after his name.
Chámunda Raya. Chámunda Raya was a brave general and a great minister of the Jain King Rájá. Rájamalla who reigned from 974 to 984 A. C. (after Christ), and belonged to the Ganga dynasty.*
The ancestors of this Jaina dynasty ruled at Ayodhya, and were descended from the ancient Ikshwáku family, founded by Rishabhadeva, the first Tírthankara. Once it so happened, that Vijaya Mahá Devi, wife of Rája 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-Vansha after his name. In this dynasty Mahárája Vishnu Gopa flourished at Ahichchatrápore (near Bareily, U. P.) He had two sons from his wife Prithvi-mati, named Bhagadatta and Shri Datta. Bhága Datta went to the Kalinga country(near Orrissa),ruled there and established the Kalinga Ganga dynasty. Shri Datta continued to rule at Ahichchatra. Rájá Padma Nábha was a descendent of his. He had two sons named Ráma and Lakshman. In consequence of some dispute with Raja Mahipal of Ujjain (Malva), he had to leave Ahichchatra for Deccan with his sons, whose names he changed to Didiga and Madhava. They wert to Perur in District Codappa in the Madras Presidency and offered respects to the learned and spiritually advanced Acharya Sinha Nandi, 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 Rájá Malla II.
Chámunda Ráya belonged to the clan of Brahma Khsatriya. He won many battles and received many titles, like Samara-Dhurandhara
* Mysore by Rice Vol. I.