Jaina Corpus of Koppala Inscriptions X rayed

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

Page 39

20 / Jaina Corpus of Koppala
(Somadevasūri)]. This self-mortification is usually designated as sallekhanā (Pk. sallehanā), or samādhimarana, or sanyāsa maraņa or sakāma-marana or panditamarana or santhāra or sanyasana; in Kannada the word mudipu is used. Sallekhanā is a willing submission to death, undertaken only by a public declaration and never in private, without any love or hatred against anybody, living or dead. Samādhi is also meditation unto death. After voluntarily accepting vow of sallekhanā, and adopting the prescribed posture of reclining, one should renunciate all the worldly belongings by thought, word and deed, and only concentrating on happily relinquishing this mundane world by fasting unto death. This process of concentration leads to, not only gain complete control over the senses but also to, a gradual destruction of the human body. S. Settar has dealt the subject of Sallkehanā at length, tracing its history and its significance, with appropriate illustrations (Settar S: 1. Inviting Death: 1989 and 2. Pursuing Death: 1990]
Memorial stones are erected to commemorate the holy death of such persons, whether he or she is a revered saint or a lay disciple. Such commemorative called nisidhis, are usually engraved on rock columns. Hundreds of post-mortem (nisidhi) monuments carved and attractively sculptured, are found throughout length and breadth of Karnataka. Among the outstanding centres, where a good number of free-standing nisidhi pillars with inscriptions are found, mention should be made of Sravanabelago!a, Hombuja and now, ofcourse with this publication, Koppaļa.
Only carved and sculptured columns, free-standing pillars, chiselled to divine beauty of a temple shape, the crowning portion of nisidhi pillar, caityālaya motif boulder memorial, carved in honour of the friars who voluntarily terminated their lives are found at Koppa!. Except the four records of Jatāsimhanandi muni, Srimatu gurugaļaśile, Sri Kanaka Bhiman and a nisidhi of Candappa noticed earlier, no other post obitum commemorative record engraved on the two huge rock-bed at Koppal, is found; to be more precise such a record has not come to my notice. There are some footprints, supposed to be of Jaina monks.
This corpus throws light on the laity and on the condition of lay worhsippers. A strong organised body of the lay-followers