________________
HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
99
to have been converted to Jainisa, and Arya Khapuța, so the story goes, defeated the Buddhists in a debate at Bhrgukaccha (mod : Broach).
There is, however, little epigraphical evidence to support this picture of the prosperous and aggressive state of Jainism in the first century B.C. in the region covered by the Deccan, Gujarat and Malwā. One thing, however, seems certain, and that is that Jainism, inspite of its change of the field of activity, was confident enough to secure royal patronage in the beginning of the Christian era. This prosperous state supported by a devoted laity which exhibited its faith in the building up of Stüpas, statues, votive tablets and dedicatory images, seems to bear out HAVELL's remark that, "The epigraphical records....show that until the second or third century A.D., practically all royal and private benevolences were bestowed upon Jaina and Buddhist institutions, and that patronage of Brāhmaṇas, as such, and of Brāhmanical deities did not begin until after that time" 227 Antiquities and Epigraphs of Mathurā :
From about the 2nd century A.D. Mathurā seems to have formed part of the Kushāna empire. Statues and inscriptions of the famous kings of this dynasty are found here. It may, however, be noted that these inscriptions do not belong only to the Scythian period, but several earlier ones have also been traced which tend to suggest that Jainism was in a flourishing condition in this region right from the second century B.C., or even earlier
The earliest inscription on linguistic and palaeographic ground according to BÜHLER, is that which describes the gift of an ornamental arch (pāsādatorana) by a certain layfollower (sāvakāsa) named Utaradāsaka who claimed to be a disciple of Samana Māharakhita.228 The inscription itself does not contain the date, but according to the same scholar mentioned above, the inscription may well go back to the 2nd cent. B.C.
Next in antiquity are two epigraphs one of which, however, is incomplete229 as it mentions only "mahārāja mahākshatrapa...ma...' Besides these only an invocation of Arhats and the words quoted previously are to be found on the Jaina image. The other 230 clearly refers to the time
227. Aryan Rule in India, p. 14 228. E.I., Vol. 2, Ins. No. 1; also LUDERS List, Ibid., Vol. 10, p. 17. 229. LUDERS, op. cit., No. 83.
230. E.I., Vol. 2, p. 199, No. II; LUDERS List, No. 59; another inscription referring to the same king; CUNNINGHAM, ASR, III, p. 30, No. 1; the gift of a tank, a reservoir, etc., by a Brāhmaṇa of the Saigrava gotra,
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
