Introducing Jainism

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 38

INTRODUCING JAINISM
Anahilapāțaka, modern Pātan, in Northern Gujarāt, in the first quarter of the ninth century, Jainism received royal patronage. In fact, the Chāpa rulers were the patrons of this religion. According to the Jaina Prabhandhas, Vanarāja Chāvďā was installed on the throne at Anahilapāțaka by his Jaina guru Silagunasūri. Vanarāja's prime minister was a Jaina merchant (varik) named Champa. Another merchant prince Ninnaya by name built a temple of Rşavanātha at Anahilavāda; Lahora, the son of Ninnay, was a general in Vanarāja's army. Vanarāja consecrated the idol of Pārsvanātha in the temple of Pañcāsara-caitya built by him. The rulers of the Chāpa dynasty also built many Jain temples.
From Bappabhattisūricaritra, found in the Prabhāvakacarita, (SJS; pp. 85 ff) we come to know that the Pratihāras (from the second quarter of the eighth century to the 10th cent. A.D.) were also the chief patrons of Jaina religion.66 Vatsarāja of this dynasty also consecrated a golden temple of Lord Mahāvira at Kanauj, and at Gwalior he also. established an image of Mahāvira. It is said that Vatsarāja's son Nāgabhațţa II was converted to Jainism and his grandson Bhoja was a great patron of Jainism."
:: Literary activities were also pursued by many famous
Jaina writers in the court of Paramāra Kings.67 One of these : writers was Dhanapāla. We have two Dhanapālas : one is a
Śvetāmbara Jain and the other is a Digambara one. The Svetāmbara Jaina Dhanapāla (10th cent. A.D.), son of Sarvadeva, wrote his Tilaka-manjarī under Muñja Vākpatirāja of Dhārā at about 970 A.D. In the introductory verses Dhanapāla eulogises the Paramāra King of Dhārā. He also mentions the names of some of his predecessors. such as, the author of Tarangavati and Rudra who composed a Trailokya-sundari-kathā. The Tarangavai68 is a Jain religious story (Dharma-kathā) and the name of the author
66. Majumdar, ibid., Vol-IV, p. 289. 87. Majumdar, ibid., Vol-IV, p. 284. 68. Winternitz, Hist of Ind. Lit. II, p. 522; S.N. Dasgupta and S.K.
De, History of Sanskrit Literature, Calcutta, 1946, p. 201 (in. 1),