Jain Journal 1999 07

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

Page 15

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NAGARAJAIAH : VIKRAMADITYA VI AND JAINISM epigraphs establish the ascendancy, power, prestige and popularity of the Nirgrantha church during this period.
2.1 Perhaps, it is only of the unusually long period of Vikki's reign that the highest number of inscriptions are found, not only of the Kalyāna Cālukya kings, but also of the rule of any other king so far. There are a few kings, who also ruled for an equally long period but the epigraphs of the reign of Vikki are unequalled.
2.2 During the comparatively long administration of VikramādityaVI (1076-1126), spontaneous royal patronage was extended to Jainism, perhaps to an even greater degree than all his predecessors for an extended period. His feudatories, consorts, princes, ministers, generals, merchants-all generously supported Jain monasteries, the friars and nuns. Lithic records of this period have registered the fact that a good number of new Jaina temples were built and the old ones were renovated, enjoying a large amount of endowments.
2.3 The scope of this paper is limited only to the inscriptional evidences of the reign of Vikki, which record the high degree of layinvolvement, in enabling Jainism to preserve and prosper during this period between 1076 and 1126. Vikramaditya was even greater than Amoghavarşa-1 (814-78), the Rāştrakuța emperor, who had Nịpatunga as his first name, in might, patronage and wisdom; Amoghavarsa, a devout Jaina, lived a full life and ruled for equally a long period of over three score and more years.
3.1 The Cālukya emperor Vikramāditya must have imbibed the love and developed the attachment of the Jaina faith from his mother's side. It is suggested that he was the son of a Ganga princess who was one of the consorts of Trailokyamalla, who had Someśvara-1 as his first name and Āhavamalla as his surname. Inscriptions have recorded the name of Bācaladevi as the mother of Vikki?: Bilhana also has stated that Vācaladevi was the mother of prince Vikrama.8
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He ruled from 12.3.1076 (EC. VII-i (BLR) Hl. 14. pp. 372-73] to 16.12.1126 (Duggavatti charter of C.E. 1126); but according to K.B. Museum inscription (Hyderabad) he ruled upto 4.11.1126 (Corpus of Inscriptions in the Telengana districts, part-iv, No. 21. C.E. 1127]. His son Bhülokamalla-Someśvara-III was crowned on 20-2-1127 (APGASiii, p. 17.1127). The period of interregnun was ruled by Someśvara-III as heir apparant, waiting only for an auspicious date to get enthroned. SII XI-ii. 150.1102, Gadag. pp. 185-87; SII. xx. 93. undated. Malaghāna (Bij dt, Sindagi tk) pp. 117-20. Bilhaņa : Vikramunkadevacaritam; sarga-ii.
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