History of Early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

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Introduction/5
centre. It contained a caityālaya where assembled the ocean of the Jaina synod of the four-fold congregation, to which Simhanandin himself was the full-moon [EC. VII.i. (BLR) Sh. 4. 1120]. The founders of the Ganga kingdom pitched their camp on the bank of a rivulet there and seeing a Caityālaya there, with full devotion walked around it three times, saw the great Simhanandin and accepted him as their preceptor [Saletore: 1938: 13]; "What Konakondla had been to Kundakundāchārya, Gangaperār was to Simhanandin. Although it is now quite insignificant as a Jaina tirtha, Gangaperār was a flourishining centre in the days of Simhanandin" [Jawaharlal, G : Jainism in Andhra (as depicted in In
scriptions): 1994: 89] 1.6.2 "Simhanandi is a celebrated teacher who is mentioned
in many inscriptions, as helping Mādhava Konganivarma in founding the dynasty and establishing the power [EC. II (R) 547 (397) 1119. p. 334 ; EC. VII. Sk. 4; EC. VIII. Nr. 35. 1077; ibid., Nr. 36. 1077]. He took up the cause of Mādhava and Didiga, and in due course he provided them with an army and invested them with kingly powers. He finally insisted on the two brothers changing their faith to Jainism, as Gangavādi was the predominently Jaina and attempted with their support to secure the solidarity of the Jaina Community" [Krishna Rao, M.V. 1936: 19596]. Uptading the Nirgrantha position, in relation to the Gangas and to impart fulness to this monograph, this observation needs further elaboration, covering the history of kings who renounced the material world for the spiritual one, and the Jainising of martial Ganga clan (Lawerence A. Babb : Absent Lord-Asceties and kings in
a Jaina Ritual Culture : 1996: Chapter 4]. 1.7 "Jainism, was a predominant religion in the Deccan from
the early days. The discovery of large number of Jaina records, monasteries and references to the names of reli