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THE JAINA ANTIQUARY.
(Vol.
of Gommateśvara. Therefore it is clear that the image existed long before that date How far earlier has to be determined
It is assumed that because Chāvundarāya in his Adipurana does not refer to the installation of Gommața, it must have taken place after the completion of the work The date of the work is given as follows Nave Sata Samkhye yāge Sakakāla samam negald-Ieva
rābdmu-tsavakaramāge Phalguna sitāstami Rohnı
Somavāramembwu śubhadangalāge paramõtsavadim guna
ratna bhushanam kavijana sekharam baredu pustakakērisidam
purānaman 11
Dr A Venkata subbayya calculates that according to the southern reckoning the date would fall on Monday, February 18th 978 A, C. when Rohini was current. According to the northern cycle A. C 976 was lśavara. Therefore the image of Gommata may have been established between 976 and 993 A. D. The nearest Vibhava occurs in 968 A C. and Sukla panchmı falls on March 7th Saturday but the actual festival might have occured on the next day Sunday. Still we cannot attach much importance to this, nor to the absence of the mention of Gommateśvara image in the Çāvunda Rāya purāna In the previous Vibhava (908 A C) Caitra Suddha panchmı falls on March 10 Thursday. In 907 A. C. (Prabhava) the tithi occurs on a Sunday, March 10th. Dr. R Shama Sastri's date is really impossible for there is no evidence that Cāmunda Raya lived up to 1028 A D.
I wish to point out the existence of another clear reference to the Gommaţa image. In the Mysore Archaeological Report for 1913-14 p. 28, an inscription at Chikka Hanasöge is given. It belongs to the time of the Ganga Ereya.
