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JAINA EPIGRAPHS 127
10
Sangam literature mentions the three kings of Adiyaman lineage. They were Nedumidal, Neduman Anji, and Pokutelini." If we assign the Jambai inscription to the 1st century A.D., then we have to fix the date to the first king to 50 B.C. and Anji to 1.A.D. and the third king to 50.A.D. The Adiyamans of Sangam literature as well as of the Jambai inscription are the same as Satyaputras referred to in the Asokan edits. In that case, they were contemporary to the Mauryan king Asoka. Hence, the date of Jambai inscription should be pushed back to 3rd century B.C. on paleographical grounds as well as the usage of the term Satyaputo in the Jambai inscription as well as in the Asokan inscription.
From the above, it is clear that the advent of Jainism in the Tamil country probably took place around 5th or 4th century B.C. The Buddhist literature Mahavamsa states that Jainism was prevalent in the island of Ceylon as early as 4th century B.C. In the same work, the influence of Nirgranthas is very much attested to in both the regions. Since Madurai was a flourishing center of many religions as well as academic activities, it functioned as a great center of Jainism also. The Jaina ascetics settled in and around Madurai region, which is surrounded by many hills with natural caverns suitable to lead a peaceful and comfortable life for the monks and to preach Jainism. As rightly pointed out by P.B. Desai that Jainism traveled all the way from North India by land route through Tamilnadu to Ceylon anterior to the 4th century B.C.11 Besides, Tamil Brahmi script and the Srilanka-Brahmi script and their paleography are very similar to each other, which show the contacts of both the countries in the early period.
Jainism in the early period in Tamilnadu received patronage from the kings and the public. From the
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