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156 / The Răstrakūtas and Jainism
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finders, admiration of the impartial critics, and the process of versification - are some of the salient lineament incorporated in Sāntipurāņa.
5.6.3.6. A small poem called Jinākşaramäle, an acrostic poem in homage of the Jinas, is attributed to Ponna. He is also believed to have authored a Gata-Pratyāgata kāvya, probably in Sanskrit, of which nothing is known. [Nagarajaiah, Hampa (ed): Sāntipuranam : 1981].
5.6.3.7. Ponna had the other aliases of Ponniga, Ponnamayya, Savana ('a Jaina monk”) and Kurulgaļa savana ("a frair with frizzy hair'). He had many surname too : kavicakravarti, ubhaya kavicakravartti, saujanya kandānkura and sarvadēva kavindra. Of these epithets, the last cognomen of Sarvadēva is consequential in the context of Telugu literature. Certain stanzas of Telugu Adipurāņa are extant. It has come to light, that the author of Telugu poem Adipurāṇa was Sarvadēva who completed his work in circa 950 C. E. Therefore, Sarvadēva is none other than Ponna, who had the title of Sarvadēva. Alongside, Ponna hails from Punganūr, a place in Kammeņād of Vengivişaya in Andhradēša (Gunţūr Dt.). Since the nomen of the poet, place of origin, and year of composition coincide, it is believed that Ponna was also a major and the earliest Telugu poet. Further, he is said to have translated Virāțaparva of Bhārata. However, some scholars, not completely convinced with this conjecture feel that we should wait for further clinching evidences.
5.6.3.7.1. Ponna has described himself as a curly haired Jaina friar (Kuruļgala savana). It may be presumed that he had renunciated material life and taken to austerity by the time he authored poems. He has stated that Indranandi (C. E. 930) was his preceptor, and epigraphical proof also approves it. Likewise, Indranandi was one of the leading authors of the period of Amõghavarşa-II and Govinda-IV.
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