Jain Journal 2003 07

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

Page 24

HAMPA NAGARAJAIH: EPIGRAPHIA JAINIKA
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28. Inscriptions on the Jaina metal images also have yielded material of historical importance.
30.
Much of the genuine material required for the reconstruction of the hisotry of the Yapaniyas, a vanished sect of Jaina church, comes from the inscriptions of medieval Karnataka. It is a happy feature of their epigraphs that they furnish information about the names, dates, places and pontiffical genealogy of the Yapaniya ascetics, otherwise not known to history.
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Outstanding poets like Ponna (950), Adi-Gunavarma (915), Jinavallabha (950), Ranna (1007, Santinātha (1068), Boppaṇa Pandita (1180), Janna (1190), Parsva Pandita (1204) and Vardhamana have composed inscriptions of historical importance.
A Jaina inscription from Shravanabelagola [EC. 11 (R) 82 (73)] dated C.E. 1118, has recorded a unique historical incident of the defeat of Vikramaditya's army which was made to flee, notwithstanding the attack of general Gangarāja [Hampa Nagarajaiah Apropos of Vikramaditya-VI and Jainism: 1999: 33].
31. They recount historical information of how the successive generation of kings and dynasties continued to endow the sanctuaries and monasteries for over a stretched period of two millenium.
Thus, the Jaina inscriptions form a class by themselves from all points of view.
Regarding the salient features of the benedictions and imprecations found in the hoard of Jaina edicts, I have discussed elesewhere. [Hampa Nagarajaiah: 1. Chandrakode, Hampi : 1997: 2. Invocatory Sanskrit verses in Jaina Inscriptions, in Sambodhi - 22]. Analogous with non-Jaina epigraphs, in the Jaina charters also, the protector of the charity is profusely blessed with several rewards while the destroyer of the gift is mercilessly cursed to the maximum extent possible. These benedictory/imprecatory passages reflect the hallowed