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62 / The Rāștrakūtas and Jainism
presiding deity of knowledge, associated with sacred manuscripts.
4.1.2. The veneration of the Holy scripture Dhavalā, Jayadhavalā and similar canonical texts is often alluded to the grace of saints who had the spell of divinity. Historical truth embedded in the works and inscriptions of Jaina order is established in the light of corroborative evidence supplied from other contemporary lithic records. Incidental references of historical personages, men and women, are abundant. Epics and classics, Pan-jaina or otherwise, often contain panegyric stanzas recording incidents of historical consequence. Thanks to the scholarly pursuits of outstanding authors, immense vitality has pervaded the Jaina tradition.
4.1.2.1. Jaina literature of the period under discussion has stressed the sanctity of life and implanted a strong sense of enviornment-consciousness. The learned ācāryas have emphasised the utility and purity of animals, water, trees and many other aspects of the enviornment. Jaina writers, whether a recluse or a house holder, did not lack required historical sense. Major authors like Srivijaya, Jinasēna-II, Guņabhadra, Pampa, Ponna, Mahāvirācārya, Śākatāyana, and Cāmundarāya possessed a robust and reliable historical knowlege. Thus all of them have contributed to the authentic reconstruction of the political, socio-cultural chronicle of Karņāțaka. The historicle fragments embedded in the Jaina works has attracted the attention of chronicler.
4.2. The Rāstrakūţa era ushered in palmy days for Jaina literary renaissance. Many Jaina authors in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada heralded a series of epics and classics. A chronicle of the Jaina authors, composing in lucid Sanskrit in Karņāțaka, starts from Ravikirti. He was the earliest poetlaureate of Karnataka. In his celebrated Aihole charter in Sanskrit, Ravikirti has recorded the political achievements of the illustrious Pulakēsin-II (609-42), who had the cognomen of dakşiņā-pathēśvara.
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