________________
-
-
६८]
जैन धर्म का प्रसार जैन-धर्म का प्रवेश उड़ीसा में शिशुनागवंशी राजा नन्दवर्धन के समय में होगया था। खारवेल के समय से पूर्व भी उदयगिरि पर्वत पर अहंतों के मन्दिर थे, क्योंकि उनका उल्लेख खारवेल के लेख में आया है। ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि (वारवेल के समय में) जैन धर्म कई शताब्दियों तक उड़ीसा का राष्ट्रीय धर्म रह चुका था।
इल लेख की उपयोगिता के विषय में श्रीयुक्त जायसवाल जी कहते हैं। :tions as institutions which had been in existence before Kharavela's time. It seems that Jainism had been the national religion of Orissa for some centuries. (J. B, O.R. S. Vol III. p. 448.)
† This inscription occupies a unique position amougst the materials of Indian History for the centuries preceding the Christian era. In point of age it is the second inscription after Asoka, the first being the Nanaghat inscription of Vedisri. But from the point of view of the chronology of the premauryan times and the history of Jainism, it is the most important inscription yet discovered in the country. It confirms the Puranic record and carries the dynastic chronology to C. 450 B.O. Further, it proves that Jainism entered Orissa, and probably became the State religion, within 100 years of its founder Mahavira. It affords the earliest historical instance of the unity of Bihar and Orissa (450 B.C.) For the social history of this country, we get the very important datum that the population of ancient Orissa was 3} millions in Circa 172 B. C.
