Historical Significance of early jaina Kadamba Inscriptions

Publisher: Z_Parshvanath_Vidyapith_Swarna_Jayanti_Granth_012051.pdf

Page 5

66
Dr. A. K. Chatterjee
Dharmanandin. The Sendrakas were obviously the feudatories of the Kadambas. Harivarman, however, before the end of his reign, became a Saivaa?
Another branch of the Kadamba dynasty, who ruled in the southern part of the original Kadamba dominion, also patronised the Jainas. We have a grant23, of the time of Krsnavarman I ( c. 475-485 A. D. ), the brother of Sāntivarman, issued from Triparvata (probably Halebid ). By this grant a piece of land at a place called Siddhakedāra, which was in Triparvata division, was granted to the Yāpaniya Sangha by Yuvarāja Devavarman, for the maintenance, worship and repair of a caityālaya, which was probably near Siddhakedāra.
The above discussion shows the flourishing condition of Jainism in different parts of the Kadamba dominion. It appears that there were a number of Jaina temples at Palāśika, which was flourishing town in those days. These inscriptions, as noted above, have disclosed the name of a great number of Jaina savants, some of whom were even respected by the reigning monarchs. The references to different Jaina sects like the Nirgranthas, Svetapatas and Kūrcakas prove that all these schools had their followers in the Kadamba dominion. The lay followers used to celebrate, with great pomp, the various Jaina festivals and needless to say, such festivals made the Jaina religion extremely popular among the masses. The Kadamba kings, it appears, in spite of their religious catholicity, had special love for the Jaina religion. It was mainly because of their patronage that Jainism became a dominant religious force in Karnataka.
References 1. Śrimad-Bhagavat-Mahāpurāņa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur (India), Ed. Ilnd, 1982,
V, Chapters 3ff. 2. A. K. Chatterjee, A Comprehensive History of Jainism, Firma K.L.M. Pvt. Ltd.,
1978, Vol. I, 118 ff. 3. D. C. Sircar, Select Inscriptions, etc., Vol. I, University of Calcutta, 1942, 473 f. 4. See D. C. Sircar, Successors of the Sātavāhanas etc., University of Calcutta,
1939, p. 255; see also I. A., Vol. VI, p. 23. 5. (Ed.) Jas. Burgess, Indian Antiquity, Vol. VI, Svati Publications, Delhi, 1984, p.
234. fn. 6. (Ed.) R. C. Mazumdar, The Classical Age, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay,
1954, 272. 7. I. A., Vol. VII, 35-36.