Jain Journal 2000 04

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

Page 29

NAGARAJAIAH : JAINISM UNDER CĀLUKYAS OF KALYĀŅA
185
Ranna (C. 950-1010 C.E), a versifier of eminence, was more than a match to any lyrist of the Cālukya dynasty. Ranna, started as a soldier in the army of the Gangas, rose to high rank by the favour of Cāmundarāya, shifted his allegiance to Cālukyas. After attemptin composing inscriptions, and two poems Parasurāma-carite and Cakrēśvara-carite, are not extant. Of the surving works, Ajitampurāņa (C.E. 993) and Sāhasa-Bhima-Vijaya olim Gadāyuddha are considered as the best poems of this time.
King Satyāśraya, educated under Jaina pontiff, profusely showered favours on Jaina community. During his period Jainism held its sway over the elite and the common folk alike. A post-obitum slab was set up at Angadi, for the memory of his Jaina teacher in C.E. 990. Satyāśraya endowed Brahma-Jinālaya with Cakravarti-datti and a golden kalasa, at Lakkundi built by the celebrated Attimabbe as her 1501th Jaina temple that she alone had commissioned, in the year C.E. 1107-08. Ranna had authored an epigraph, his last work with which he has bid good bye to his magic wand of creative genius.
Satyāśraya's daughter Mahādevi was the queen consort of IsivaNolambādhirāja-Ghateyankakāra, a dedicated Jaina, who had endowed the Jaina house of worship at Maravoļal. Satyāśraya had expressed his deference to the venerable Jaina nun Nāyibbarasi-abbegal, Jainadharma-samuddharane, a saviour of Jaina faith. During his reign, Rācațūri Jogasāmi has caused to be made a Jina image and a house of prayer at Rāghava Puram (Andhra).
A pillar at Cilūr (A.P. : Hyderabad Dt) records a grant of land made by Dandanāyaka Padmanābhaiah, a general of Vikramāditya-V, to the Annal-Atiśaya-Pārsvadeva of Indra-jinālaya attached (prati-baddha) to the Antara-Vasadi of Cilakūru. Annal is a Dravidian word, equivalent to Sanskrit Arhat. Atisaya implies an extraordinary glory phenomena of the image of Pārsva. The nomen Indra-Jinālaya clearely suggests that the Jaina shrine was a creation by the Rāştrakūța emperor IndraII or Indra-III.
After Vikramāditya-V, (1008-14) Ayyana-II (1014-15) also generously contributed to the upkeep of Jaina basadis. Jainism blossomed to its best during the government of Jagadekamalla Jayasimha (1015-42). He had two typical Jaina cognomen of Mallikāmoda, delectable like Jasmine, and Vadiraja Jagadekamalla, a pupil of Jaina ācārya. He founded a Jaina shrine at Maski (Raichur Dt) named after him as Jagadekamalla-Jinālaya.
One of the earliest of the inscriptions of the period of Jayasimha,