________________
Kannada Literature / 135
doyen of grammar school in the south for all the languages. Sākaṭāyana, prima donna of grammar school in the Rāṣṭrakūṭa court of Amōghavarṣa-I, authored Sabdanusāsana of four chapters in Sanskrit. Interessingly he also composed a self-commentary. He has named his autocommentary after his patron as Amōghavṛtti.
5.5.3.7. Amoghavarṣa-I, himself a distinguished pandit, emulating the legendary Vikramaditya of Ujjain who had 'nine gems' of authors adoring his court, encouraged and gathered brilliant men of letters. In this constellation Śākaṭāyana, Śrīvijaya, Mahāvīrācārya, Viresēna, Jinasēna and Gunabhadra stood out very prominently. Ugrāditya had also visited his court. They were great writers in their own field. Works of every one of them have survived to this day. Never has the royal court or the reign of any other monarch, either before or after, has seen a literary galaxy of this calibre in Karṇāṭaka.
5.5.3.8. Among these gems, who produced belles-letters, fine literature and a star of the first magnitude in the literary firmament, was Jinasēna ācārya, a polymath. Savant Jinasena adorned everything he touched. His celebrated epic Adipurāņa one of the best of Jinapurāņas in Sanskrit sings the glory of Rṣabhadēva. His other works are also meritorious. Virasēna composed the commentary DhavaläTikā of greater magnitude. To the above list of contemporary luminiferous persona grata can be added Vira Bankesa, the trustworthy Duke and general, and his son Lōkaṭe (Lōkāditya) of Callaketana house, who made the reign of Amōghavarṣa look very much Jaina oriented and a minute replica of samavarsaraṇa, assembly hall of Jaina audience.
5.5.4. Gunavarma-I (C. 900 C. E.), an author of note, completed two maha-kavyas, epics of praise worthy significance, during the reign of Kṛṣṇa-II. These two epics, the Sudraka and the Harivamsa, both in campū style, of
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
