Jain Journal 1986 07

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

Page 30

JULY, 1986
renunciation of a Jaina from his home life to a home-less life of an ascetic also included the renunciation of his family name. Scholars made a search in Tamil classical literature to discover the real name of Ilamko Adikal but all their attempts were proved fruitless. This traditional custom of refraining to reveal the family name is prevalent among the Jainas even to-day when a person took to Holy Orders.
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The Kunavayirkottam consisted of a temple besides the monastery built within an enclosure of a high stone wall. The name of the deity installed in the temple is not mentioned in the epic-poem but in view of the fact that its author has described several sacred names of Adi Bhagavan Rsabhadeva, the first Tirthankara and founder of Jainism, it can be taken for granted that the image installed in the temple was that of Rsabha, the founder of Indian culture and civilisation. The names of Rsabha described in Silappadikaram were meant as the author's adorations to Adinatha.
Poet Chathanar was a Harijan of the modern day born in the Cheruma community of ancient Kerala. The term Chathan is a popular name among the Cherumas of Kerala even today. Chathan is derived from the term Sastha, one of the names of the Buddha, according to Amara-koşa, the lexicon composed by Amar Singh. This proves that the ancestors of the modern Cherumas were Buddhists. Shertalai is situated near Sasthamkottam and Sasthamangalam in Travancore. They were noted areas of Buddhism in the early centuries of the Christian era. Buddhism was introduced in Kerala by Mahendra and Sanghamitra, son and daughter of Emperor Asoka, in the 3rd century B.C. on their way to Srilanka from Magadha. Excavations carried out at Sasthamangalam Sasthakottam and the surrounding localities have unearthed a number of relics including a few imposing Buddha images. They are worshipped by the Hindus and visited by tourists especially from Buddhist countries.
The Buddhist poet was a flourishing rice merchant at Madurai. He was widely respected by people for his vast learning and also for his spiritual wisdom. Although Chathanar was a Buddhist, he was a devoted worshipper in the temple of the Universal Spirit and the oneness of all religions. The poet was a trusted friend of the Crown-prince and later the prince turned Ilamko Adikal. He is the author of a Tamil Buddhist literary work called Manimekhalai, after the name of Manimekhalai, the daughter of Kovalan from his second wife Madhavi. The Buddhist poet was also one of the successive Presidents of the Tamil Sangham at Madurai.