Jain Journal 2003 10

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

Page 17

KAMALA HAMPANA: POET PAMPA, JINAVALLABHA AND ANDHRA
Rashtrakuta throne for himself. With similar acts of valour and justice, Arikesari constituted himself as paramount overlord, not only in Andhra but also in the Deccan. Pampa, a savyasācin, at ease with the sword and pen, and as a general of the army of Arikesari, seems to have participated these expeditions. Albeit, Pampa with his first hand knowledge of the battle, has vividly described the above details in his poem the Vikramārjunavijaya.
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According to Jinavallabha's Kurkiyal inscription, Pampa belonged to the family of Jamadagni pañcārṣeya śrīvatsa-gotra Kamme Brahmanas of Vengiparra village in Vengieśa. Abhimanacandra, his grand-father lived at Neḍungonda in Gundikarra. Bhimapayya, son of Abhimanacandra, changed his faith from Brahmanism to Jainism and married Abbaṇabbe, grand-daughter of the Astrologer Jōyisasingha, who belonged to Annigere of Belvola in Karṇāṭaka. Pampa, son of Bhīmapayya and Abbaṇabbe, was born at Annigere and spent his childhood frequently visiting the region of Banavāsi on the bank of river Varada, and extended his trips to Puligere and Gōkarna in Karnataka.
Later on, Pampa spent the rest of his life and had his higher education in Andhra, land of his elders. He joined the Chalukya army as a soldier but soon won over the affection of Arikesari who quickly recognised the poetic talent of Pampa and shifted him from the army to become his court-poet. The association of Pampa, Jinavallabha, and other members of the family with Andhra was more intimate and of a longer duration than with Karnataka. Tradition has it that Pampa spent his last days as a monk and died at the village Munipampa named after him [Nalgonda Dt.,] [Ramannapet Tk]. But, based on inscriptional evidence, it is believed that Pampa accepted the vow of sanyasa and is identified with Subhanandi who figures as a disciple of Devendramuni,, in the Bodhan inscription.
The Jinendrapurāṇa, a Telugu poem of Padmakavi, which is not extant, is said to be the work of Pampa, equating Padmakavi with Pampakavi. But this speculation needs further evidence. Pampa composed the Adipurāṇa of 16 cantos in Kannada based on the Sanskrit Adipurāṇa of Jinasena ācārya.