________________
No. IV]
MONASTIỜ LIFE IN SRAVANA B·LGOLA
129
expended on that plot alone and to no where else, thus bringing into common use the vital principle of self-sufficiency, which was so essential in maintaining the corporate life of the Jaina Sangha.
Some further details of such an agreement can be made out from a grant of A. D. 1266 when a settlement was made between the Jaina Sangha of Sravaņa Belgola and the local merchant devotees. In this year Nayakirti Deva set down, for all the Nägartās of Gomațapura, in the presence of the senior treasurer (hiriyamanikya bhandāri) Rāma Deva Nāyaka, Minister of Someśvara Deva, son of Vira Ballāļa II, the following decree:(a) For (each ? ) house in Gomatapura the monied were to
pay 8 hana on their stock (or capital) and remain in
peace. (b) Among the mills of oil-mongers, whatever justice or injustice
of the palace, (whatever) loss or expense may come, the Ācārī of that place must himself stipulate and recover
the dues: there was to be no charge on families." From this order it may be concluded that, in the thirteenth century, the monks of Sravana Belgola charged and recovered the house-tax (mane dere) and the oil-mongers dues (teligāra-gāna.) As the house-tax was recovered only from the wealthy, it could not have affected the poor. But, on the other hand, despite the dues of the king, whether legitimate or not, whether they made a profit or suffered a loss, the oil-mongers were obliged to pay the stipulated dues which, unfortunately, appear to have been left to the discretion of the local ācārī, who perhaps was expected to know the local conditions better than the monastery officials entrusted with the recovery of the other dues. When such a charge was imposed the tax on families as units was exempt, which shows that the Jaina monks did not dare to stretch the weapon of taxation too far.
1. 128, p. 176: Āgi hapa-vondara modalinge ...hapa vondara modalinge entu-ha avau sukhav ipparu-teligva gâna volagāgi aramaneya nyāyav anyāyam ola-braya ēnum bandadam å sthal adăcâtyyaru tāpe tellu ninnasivaru cokkala kāralia kathey illa.--Note I have changed the translation of the lines underlıned, as I
nsider my interpretation to be clearer.
