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152/The Raṣṭrakūtas and Jainism
ubhaya-bhaṣā kavicakravartti by Kṛṣṇa-III, after composing the epic Bhuvanaika - Rāmābhydayam in chaste Kannada in campū, which was the only popular poetic style of his time.
5.6.3.1. Bhuvanaika - Rāmābhyudayam, 'prosperity of the only Rāma in the universe', an epic of vaulting ambition of poet Ponna, is extant only in bits, like Śūdraka and Harivamsa of Adi-Guṇavarma (C. 900). There is no doubt abovt the reverence that this poem enjoyed, because very many later references of deference approve the fact. The poem had fourteen cantos. Citations in later works of Kāvyāvalōkana (Nāgavarma : 1042), Sūktisudhārṇava (Mallikarjuna : 1240) and Sabdamaṇidarpaņa (Kēśirāja : 1270) provide an insight to the visage of this poem.
5.6.3.2. A controversy followed on the identification of the katha-nayaka, the hero of this epic. Main reason for the debate was that Śankaragaṇḍa, a feudatory of the Rāṣṭrakūtas and a staunch promoter of Nirgrantha faith, also had an appellation of Bhuvanaikarāma. Added to that, he had fashioned Jayadhira-Jinālaya at Koppala and more shrines at other places. Considering these and similar achievements of Śankaragaṇḍa, literary critics held the view, that the main character of the aobve poem could be the same person. Some pandits still maintain the same view.
5.6.3.2.1. But, corroborative eipigraphical and literary sources from Prakrit and Sanskrit works place heavy waitage in favour of Kṛṣṇa-III being the paragon main character. Illustrious Puspadanta (C. E. 959) has referred to the emperor as 'bhvaṇekkarāmu-rāyā', which confirms that it was popular cognomen of Kṛṣṇa. More over, Pampa, Ponna, Sōmadēvasūri, Puspadanta were his proteges whereas there is no other evidence to substantiate that
Sankaraganda had supported Ponna. If Ponna had authored Bhuvanaika-Rāmābhyudaya, with Sankaraganda as the important victor of the poem, it becomes all the more difficult
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