Jain Journal 2000 01

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

Page 44

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JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXIV, No. 3 January 2000 śāntaladēvi who has been the cream of Jaina culutre in the history of Karnataka. On hearing the sad news of the death of her daughter the matchless Sāntaladevi, Mācikabbe, the abode of virtures was greatly disturbed. She said to herself, 'the queen has attained the state of the gods, I cannot remain behind'. The proficient Mācikabbe immediately rushed to Sravanabelagola, took the permission of her husband Mārasingayya, loving father of Sāntaladevi, adopted severe sanyāsana, i.e., sallekhanā. Mārasingayya, who had embraced by this time the faith of his wife also accepted the rite of sallekhanā and renounced the world. Mācikabbe, fasting cheerfully for one month, attained the state of gods by samadhi, in the presence of all the blessed. People said in one voice : 'who among women that adopted sanyāsanawas so proficient as she?'. What more can be asid of her greatness?
Ācaladēvi alias Āciyakka, was consort of Candramouli, a śaiva minister. In matters of religion women had freedom, is something commendable. Aciyakka of great glory and endless merit was a lady disciple of Nayakirtideva. Having her faith in the glorious lord Jina, the abode of unending happiness, Ācaladēvi speedily caused to be made, with great devotion, a fine temple for the lord of Jainas, Pārsvanātha at the holy place of Belago!a. King Vira-Ballāļa granted a village for the maintenance of the temple.
One of the important phenomena of the Hoysaļa times was liberal patronisation of Jaina literature by the cultured aristocracy. The period is noteworthy for the rich crop of Kannada literary works, secular as well as religious. Mallikārjuna, Janna and Keśirāja belonged to a Jaina family of scholar authors, holding many distinguished titles. They adorned the court of Hoysalas and were credited with the composition of meritorious works of academic excellence.
Mallikārjuna compiled Sūktishudhārņava an anthology of several hundred stanzas selected from many early classics, grouping them under 18 categories. This work contains some rare verses from unknown sources. Mallikarjuna is the first editor of old Kannada classics, and the earliest author to quote stanzas from inscriptions While selecting the stanzas from different authors, he has not confined of Jaina writers only. His son, Janna, is decidedly the best writer of the Hoysala kingdom. He has authored three long epigraphs of historical importance, all the three are non-Jaina in nature. Of the literary works of Jaina persuasion, Janna's Anantanāthapurāna is a long poem in Campū style, narrating the biography of the 14th Tirthankara. But his master piece is decidedly Yaśõdhara carite, based on Vādirāja's Sanskrit work with the same title. Janna has made a substantial contribution of the religious dogmas and philosophy of the Jaina school