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CAMUNDARAYA- A GREAT JAINA MINISTER OF KARNATAKA
G. S. DIKSHIT
All the devotees of Gommateśvara and all the admirers of his world-famous statue at Sravanabelgo!a must know about Cāmundarāya, the minister of the Gangas, who set up this statue, one thousand years back. For understanding the political and religious role of Cāmundarāya, we have to acquaint ourselves with the political situation as it existed in South India in the second half of tenth century AD.
Krişņa III (939-966 A. D.) was the last great Rāştrakūţa ruler. Between the Rāştrakūtas and the Gangas, there was at this time not only political alliance, but there were a number of matrimonial alliances also. Krişga III's sister Revaki had married the Gaiga King Būtuga II (925-960 A. D.). Būtuga II and Krişna III had formed a powerful and invincible military alliance. They cemented their friendship further by marriage alliances. Krişņa III's daughter married Būtuga II's son Maru!adeva. Būtuga's daughter married a son of Krişņa III and to this pair was born the last Rāştrakūța prince Indra Rāja.
Būtuga's first son Maru!adeva, for some reason, did not rule. The second son, Mārasimha III (961-974) succeeded his father. Mārasimha continued the policy of friendship with the Rāştrakūtas and fought with all their enemies both in the north and in the south of India. He was the last great Garga ruler. It was under him that Camundarāya came to the lime light. Cāmundarāya came from a family of Brabmakşatriyas who were loyal for generations to the Ganga ruling family. His grandfather was Govindamayya. Govindamayya and his younger brother Isvarayya were, it appears, like Bhima and Arjuna. They both served under Mārasimha. Cāmuṇdarāya's father Mahābalayya was known as a virtuous and able man.
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