________________
Retrospect
379
some towns to stop the slaying of animals throughout the year and to suspend the revolutions of oil-mill and potter's wheel during the four months of the rainy season every year. 128 Several inscriptions from the South reveal the keen interest taken by non-Jaina rulers in facilitating the Jainas to observe their religion. Among these the most outstanding is the stone insrciption dated 1368 A. D. of the Vijayanagara monarch Bukka Raya I. When the Jainas of all districts appealed in a body for protection against their persecution by the Vaishnavas, the king after summoning the leaders of both sects before him declared that no difference could be made between them and ordained that they should each pursue their own religious practices with equal freedom.129
The varied activities of a large number of eminent Jaina saints contributed to the continuation of Jaina community for a long period because these activities produced a deep impression upon the general public regarding the sterling qualities of Jaina saints. They were mainly responsible for the spread of Jainism all over India. The chronicles of Ceylon attest that Jainism also spread in Ceylon.130 As regards the South India it can be maintained that the whole of it in ancient times was strewn with small groups of learned Jaina ascetics who were slowly but surely spreading their morals through the medium of their sacred literature composed in the various vernaculars of the country.131 These literary and missionary activities of the Jaina saints ultimately helped the Jainas in South India to strengthen their position for a long time in the face of Hindu revival. The important Jaina saints and writers from the South were Kunda Kunda, Umāsvāti, Samantabhadra, Pūjyapāda, Akalanka, Vidyānandin, Māņikyanandin, Prabhāchandra, Jinasena I, Gunabhadra, Somadeva, Pampa and Ranna.132 Of these illustrious persons Achārya Samantabhadra and Achārya Akalanka were the foremost in their zeal of spread of Jainism. Samantabhadia in the 2nd century A. D. toured all over India and defeated his opponents in the public disputations. Similarly Akalanka defeated the Buddhists in public disputation at Kāñchi in the 7th or 8th century A. D. in consequence of which they were banished to Ceylon.133 'Even in political matters the Jaina saints were taking keen interest and guiding the people whenever required. It has already been noted that the Gangas and the Hoyasalas were inspired to establish new kingdoms by the Jaina Āchāryas. Along
