Jain Journal 1994 04

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

Page 10

Religious conflicts and conversion of Jain Temples in Tamilnadu
A. Ekambaranathan
In the religious history of ancient Tamilnadu, the 7th century A.D. is said to be a period of serious religious conflicts between the brahmanical sects of Saivism and Vaisnavism on the one hand and the heretical sects of Jainism and Buddhism on the other. The bhakti movement spear-headed by the Saiva and Vaisnava Saints curtailed the growth of the heretical sects to a large extent in early medieval times. Not only their compositions like the Tēvāram and Divyaprabhandam, but also the later hagiological work Periyapurāṇam reflect sectarian attitude of the brahmanical sects. Though the entire Tamilnadu was under the grip of religious animosity, some historical centres like Madurai, Tiruvarur, Tiruppatiripuliyur, Tiruvottür and Gingee witnessed religious feuds. This, in course of time, resulted in conversion of some Jaina temples and even the very faith of many of its followers. Being adherents of the path of ahimsa and at the same time numerically a minority, the Jains had neither resorted to violence nor retaliated by causing destruction to Hindu temples. However, in late medieval period, they had also articulated ill-feelings against Hindus in their devotional literature.
Literary Evidence
Traditions reminiscent of sectarian rancour and persecution of the Jains are preserved in the canonical literature of the Saivites and Vaisnavites. In almost all the decades of Tēvāram, the religious principles of the Jains, their customs and practices are condemned and ridiculed. This is magnified to the maximum possible extent in Periyapurāṇam.
Dandiaḍigal, one of the early Saiva saints, was responsible for the destruction of the Jaina institutions at Tiruvarur, when he had undertaken the task of enlarging the tank of the local Śiva temple.2
Sambandar, in his attempts at propagating Saivism, undertook pilgrimage tours all over Tamilnadu, singing in praise of lord Śiva
1 R. Champakalakshmi, "Religious conflicts and the date of Tevāram- A reappraisal", Paper presented to the Fourth Epigraphical Congress, 1978, Madras, p.I. 2 Periyapurāṇam. Dandiaḍigal Purāņam. 15-24