Jaina Corpus of Koppala Inscriptions X rayed

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

Page 25

6/ Jaina Corpus of Koppaļa
religious life, is transparent in the nisidhi inscriptions now discovered. A strong organised body of the lay-followers maintained the spirit and the existence of Jaina church. The frairs and nuns were active in propogating the tentents of Jaina creed is evident from the fact that a majority of these epigraphs speak of religious preceptors.
LITERATURE
6.1
Tenth and 11th centuries were an epoch making era of staunch advocates of Anekäntamata, in all walks of life including political, social, religious and cultural sphere. A cursory glance at the preseni collection of new charters is enough to substantiale il.
6.1.1 Besides, the period between tenth and 12th cent. C.E. is
charcaterised by great literary activities. Most of the major Kannada campu epics and other classics, embodying the lives of salakapurusas, jaina great persons were written during this period. It is under the stimulus of Jainism that remarkable advances were registered in art, architecture, sculpture and painting. Religious impulse overflowed into the numerous branches of knowledge which resulted in a tremendous cultural impact on Karnāțaka.
6.2
Most of the new inscriptions are not lengthy records; on an average, the number of lines in each inscription is around 25. Though the language of most of the epigraphs is Kannada, the regional language of Karnātaka, there are some Sanskrit inscriptions also. These epigraphs look heterogenous from the point of view of style; yet, there is a common accepted standard pattern, as far as the subject matter is concerned. Its language and style is cast in an archaic mould containing some verses also. Some of the inscriptions vouchsafe the genius of those who composed them. who had a sound knowledge of the Jaina tradition and the skill of poetry and prosody.
6.3
Many of these inscriptions contain Jaina invocatary verses, but none of them contain any imprecatory lines. Because, these are all nisidhi memorials and not endowments.