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APRIL, 1990
The five Pandava brothers who were the victorious heroes of the greatest war of epic India, a war which caused the destruction of the flower of Indian chivalry, counted in millions, were also good Jaina rulers of territories. They adopted the vows of sainthood, and after severe austerities, and deep meditation attained the highest and purest point of soul-purity-the Divinity.
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The Emperor Candragupta Maurya was a good Jain monarch of historical times. He sat on the Magadha throne in 322 B.C. and conquered the North-west country up to the Hindukush. His territories extended up to Kathiawar in the west, and included Punjab, United Provinces and Bihar. He also adopted the vows of a Jain saint at the feet of Bhadrabahu Svami and performed austerities of the order. This is proved to demonstration by the rock inscriptions at Sravana Belgola in Mysore.
Camunda Raya was a brave General and a great Minister of the Jaina King, Rayamalla, who reigned in the tenth century and belonged to the Ganga dynasty; the ancestors of which dynasty ruled at Ayodhya, and were descended from the ancient Iksvaku family, founded by Rsabhadeva, the first Tirthankara. He belonged to the clan of Brahma Ksatriya. He won many battles, and received many titles, such as Samara Dhurandhara, 'the Leader in Battle', Vira Martanda, 'the Sun among the Brave', Ranaraja Simha, a Great Lion in Battles', Vairikulakaladanda, 'Sceptre of Death for the Host of Enemies', Bhuja Martanda, "The Sun among the Powerful-armed', Samara Parasurama, 'Parasurama in Battle'. He was a great scholar also. He wrote a commentary on Gommaṭasāra in the Canarese language in presence of the author Sri Nemi Candra Siddhanta-Cakravarti. He also composed Camunda Raya Purana in Canarese, and Caritra-sara, a treatise on the practices of ascetics, in Sanskrit. He took the vows of a layman from the Great Saint Ajitasena. The beautiful temple at Candragiri, Sravana Belgola, district Hasan, Mysore, was constructed by him. In 1983, he constructed the great and wonderful image of Sri Bahubali, called Gommata Svami or Gommatesvara which is cut out of a rock, is 57 feet high, with every limb and minor limb, in exquisite proportion.
King Kharavela of the dynasty of Maha-Megha-Vahana was also a good Jain monarch, who ascended the throne in his 16th year. His victories and his charities are recorded in the Rock Inscription at Hathi Gumpha near Bhuvanesvara, Orissa Province.
The Parmar and Solanki Rajputs of Osia, near Jodhpur were converted to Jainism some 2,400 years ago.
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