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THE DATE OF THÉ CONSĒCŘATION OF THE IMAGE OF
GOMMATĒŚVARA
BY
S Srikantha Sastri, M.A.
भद्र भवत्वखिलधार्मिकपुण्डरीकषण्डावबोधनसुमित्रदिवाकराय । संसारसागरविचित्रनिमग्नजन्तो हस्तावलम्बनकृते जिनशासनाय ॥
(S. I. I. IX pt I no. 387.) The exact date of the consecration of the image of Sri Gommațēśvara has been discussed by several scholars, Dr. R. Shama Sastri in the Mysore Archaeological Report for 1923 made use of the date given in the Bahubali Carta to substantiate his theory of the commencement of the Gupta era in C. 199-200 A. C. On the basis of the following verse :
कल्यब्दे षट्शताख्ये विनुतविभवसंवत्सरे मासि चैत्रे पंचम्यां शुक्लपक्षे दिनमणिदिवसे कुम्भलग्ने सुयोगे। सौभाग्ये मस्तनाम्नि प्रकटितभगणे सुप्रशस्तां चकार । श्रीमच्चामुण्डराजो बेलुगुलनगरे गोम्मटेशप्रतिष्ठामू ।।
(Bahubali Carita v. 64.) Assuming that Kalyabda should have been a mistake for Kalkyabda, he calculated that the date would tally with Sunday, 3rd March, 1028 A. C. The defect in this calculation was pointed out by Dr. A, Venkata Subhayya. Some think that the date implied was probably 21st April, Sunday 980 A.C. when Mrga sira naksatra and kumbha lagna were current.' The Ajitanāthapurāna of Ranna was completed in Saka 915, Vijaya, Kārtika, Nandiśvara day (26th October 993 A. C.), and it says that Attimabbe visited the image
1. If one reading is really Kalki, it is intrepreted as in the sixth century after Kalki and in the 8th year Vibhaba. But 980 A, D is Vikrama according to southern and Vsha according to northern cycles.
