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HAMPANA: STATUS OF WOMEN IN JAINISM IN KARNATAKA
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mutilated portion but not easily traceable), has portrayed the picture of a brave lady celebrity who was also known for her other virtues. This post-mortem memorial stone stands as an excellent testimonial of this illustrious devout lady lay votary (śrāvaki).
Scholars are of the opinion that the illustrious polyhistor poet Ranna, while staying with his patron and friend Cāmundarāya who caused the monolith colossus of Gommața at Savaņabeļagoļa, has authored this inscription. According to the opinion of Hampa Nagarajalah, a research scholar, that Ranna started to drive a quill with this inscription in C.E.980, and bid farewell to his magic wand by composing the Lakkundi inscription in C.E. 1007, both the writings being on the life sketch of pious and brave ladies of tenth century Kamņāțaka.
3. Pātra-Jagadale Bācaladevī (C. 1113. A.D)
The celebrated Mahā-mandaleśvara Tribhuvanamalla-BhujabalaGanga-Permmādideva (C.E. 1103-18) was ruling the Mandali-Thousand Kingdom in peace and wisdom; Edehalli was his capital, GangaMahadevi was his crown queen. He had four sons known for their valour and who were ornaments of Gangakula. Bācaladevi the King's other half and a prominent personality was a cream of Mandali-nad culture. She was to her King consort, a lady of wealth (Sri-vadhū), victory (Jaya-vadhū), celebrity (Kirti-Śrī-vadhū) and wisdom (vag-vadhū) personified, and a nonpareil to the spouses of other Kings. Among the sanghas the best is the Müla-sangha and in it is the Desiga-gana is the chief; Bācaladevi was a lady votary of Desiga-gaņa. Bācaladevi ardently practised the four gifts of learning (Šāstra-dāna), food (ahāradāna), medicine (bhaisajya) and shelter (abhaya), as a part of the four duties of a lay woman (Caturvidha-Śrāvikā-dharma). Whatever she had legitimately inherited in cash and kind, Bācaladevi, happily distributed it to the needy and the deserved and subjected her human body to the severe religious rituals of vows (restraint). With her charitable disposition and other meritorious accomplishments Bācaladevi was a match to Attimabbe's proverbial bounteousness. Only such titles behove Bacaladevi as dāna-kalpaje, a legendary tree of heaven which grants all wishes, dāna-vinode, deserving pleasure in giving gifts asked for, dana-cintāmaņi, a gem yeilding everything wanted by its possessor, catur-vidyā-vindoe deriving pleasure in the four fold learning, Saubhāgya Śacidevi, the prosperous Indrāni Varadanaguna-bhūsane adorned with great virtue of munifience, Kasturikāmode delectable like musk. Bācaladevi was idolised as the protector of the Nirgrantha church. Her head with its dark blue long hair was sacro sanct with the
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