History of Early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

Page 86

A Unique Protege : Cāmundarāya / 43
The colophon mentions Cāmundarāya, the favourite of Ajitasena, as the author, and the concluding verse specifies his title Raņaranga simha (Upadhye, A.N. : Cāmundarāya and his literary Predecessors-in 'Upadhye papers': 1983-237]. His third work, the Viramārtandi is a commentray on his preceptor Nemicandra Acārya's
Gommațasāra. 7.3 Cāmundarāya also patronised Ranna, a famous Kannada
poet-laureate, who was his friend, philosopher and guide. Ranna wrote Ajitapurānam (C.E. 993), commissioned by the brilliant lady Attimabbe, who had the cognomen dānancintāmaņi (jewel of charity) and a number of other biruda, and Annigadeva, her son who was the chief of Māsavādi-140 sub-division (SII, XI i. 53 1007. Lakkundi (Gadag dt). pp. 43-46). Later, poet Ranna, under the patronage of Cālukya emperors, Tailapa-II (973-997) and his son Satyāśraya- Isivabedanga (997-1008), wrote his
classic Sāhasa Bhima Vijaya olim Gadāyuddha (1007). 7.4 Cāmundarāya's younger sister Pullabba also followed her
brother's ideals and finally she met her inevitable end by the vow of sallekhanā in the Candranātha basadi at Vijayamangalam (TN: Periyar dt/Erode tk) in about C.E. 985[EI. VII p. 108 f;ARE. 597 of 1905: Ekambarambatan : 1987: 300-01]. There is a bas relief depicting the scene
of Pullabba engrossed in deep meditation. 7.4.1 Cāmundarāya had started simultaneously to erect
Gommața colossus on the Vindyagiri, and to construct a basadi, later named after him, on the Candragiri hill. He successfully completed the former and also performed the first head anointing ceremony called Mahāmastaka abhiseka. Regarding the basadi on the small hill, he died before the formalpratiştāpana mahotsava. Therefore, his son Jinadevana consecrated the Arhat Pārsva image in the sanctum of the first floor of the temple, the only thing left incomplete and solemnised the inauguration of the temple.