Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 23

OLD-KANARESE INSCRIPTION AT TERDAĻ.
JANUARY, 1885.]
The second part of the inscription, commencing. in line 56 and ending in line 68, records a grant made by Svámins, of the Virabaṇañju sect, to the same god Nêminâtha in Šaka 1104 (A.D. 1182-83). This sect is mentioned in several inscriptions; and its members generally represent themselves as worshippers of the Jaina goddess Padmavati. But to this rule there is an exception, in the Damba! Buddhist inscription, in which the selfis invoke Târâdêvî. From a comparison of this Buddhist inscription with others that mention the Virabaṇañju sect, we naturally arrive at the conclusion that, when the Buddhists could not hold their own against rival sects, they must have exchanged the ékánta for the anékánta doctrine, as the religion of Pâráva and Mahavira was much nearer to that of Sakyasimha than any form of Brahmanism that acknowledged the divine authority of the Védas. Dr. Burgess correctly points out (ante, Vol. X. p. 273), that Târâ is a Buddhist goddess. But, when he asserts that the Bauddhas would go over to the Lingayat religion in preference to Jainism, he falls into an anachronism; for, in the time of Vikramâditya VI., such a thing as Lingayatism did not exist. He further asserts that the Jaina Banajigas are joined, in this Dambal inscription, with outcasts and Chandalas. But, in this, he has evidently misunderstood the expression Balajigam-golalu, which can only mean the staff used by the Vira-Balañjigas in measuring land. There
is a third assertion made by him, which will be discussed in a separate paper on Târâdêvî and the interesting part she played in the history of Jainism.
The third part of the inscription, commencing in line 68, records a grant made to the same god by the Dandandyaka Bhâyidêva, in Saka 1109 (A.D. 1187-88).
In line 64 there occurs the phrase Kondakundánvaya. Kondakunda, or Kundakunda, was one of the most celebrated Jaina authors.
The works attributed to him are the Prábhṛitasára, the Pravachanasdra, the Samayasára, the Rayaṇasára, and the Dvádasdnuprekshd. These are all written in Jaina Prakrit. Bâlachandra, the commentator, who lived before Abhinava-Pampa, says, in his introductory remarks on the Prabhṛitasára, that Kundakundacharya was also called Padmanandi, and was the preceptor of Sivakumara-mahârâja. I would identify this king with the Early Kadamba king Sri-vijaya-Siva-Mṛigêsa-mahârâja. For, in his time, the Jainas had already been divided into the Nirgranthas and the Svêtapatas. And Kundakanda attacks the Śvêtapata sect when he says, in the Pravachanasára, that women are allowed to wear clothes because they are incapable of attaining nirvana :
चिते चिंता माया तम्हा तासिं ण णिवाणं ॥
Another interesting fact that we learn from his works is, that, in the time of this author, Jainism had not spread far and wide in these parts, and that the body of the people worshipped Vishnu; for he tells us, in the Samayandra:
लोयसमणाणमेयं स पनि दि० सदि
TEXT."
Fleet.
From Mr. Fleet's ink-impression; revised by Mr. By metrical license, the initial a of atiéaya is
15
लोगस कुणदि विण्हू समणाणं अपओ कुणदि ॥
"So no difference appears between the people and the Sramanas in respect of the siddhanta; (in the opinion) of the people, Vishņu makes (every thing); (in the opinion) of the Sramanas, the soul makes (every thing)."
On these circumstances, as well as on the place assigned to him in Jaina paṭṭávalis and on the fact that his writings are considered by Jaina scholars, both in Dharwad and Maisûr, to be the most ancient Jaina works now extant, I base my opinion that Kondakundacharya was a contemporary of the Early Kadamba king Sira-Mriga-mahārāja.
[] Srimat-parama-gambhira-sydvd-Amôgha-Amichha(chha)nam jiyat-[t]maiļbkya-nkthasya śâsanaṁ Jina-áâsanam || Śriman-[n]amna (mra)-sur-âsur-ôraga-lasan-manikyamaali
[] prabha-atom-Alaṁkri(kri) ta-pada-padma-yugalah
kaivalya-kanta-manaḥ-premam
mati-Nêminâtha-Jinanatham Têridal-Atisaya -śrimatu bhavya-ja
san
lengthened, and the final two syllables are to be pronounced sai.