Book Title: Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline
Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
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Introduction 41
(G.E. 106, i.e. 425-26 AD) recording the erection of a statue of Pārsva
itha by a private individual at the mouth of a cave.1 The Kahaum Stone Pillar inscription of Skandagupta (G.E. 141 i.e. 460-61 AD) records that a certain Madra set up five stone images of Ādikartrs or Tirthamkaras at the village of Kakubha, i.e. Kahaum in Gorakhpur district.? The Paharpur Copperplates of G.E. 159 (478 AD) record the donation of some land by a private individual for the maintenance of worship at the Jain Vihāra at Vaţa Gohali, headed by the pupils of Guhanandin of the Pañcastūpanikāya of Banaras, which probably occupied the site of the great temple unearthed at Paharpur.
From epigraphic evidence it appears that the Ganga kings of Mysore were patrons of Jainism. There is a tradition that the Jain saint Simhanandi gave a kingdom to Kangunivarmā, the founder of the Ganga line. In a damaged copper plate grant of Sivamāra I, we find support of this tradition.5 The Udayendiran grant of king Hastimalla, dated c. AD 920, affirms that the Ganga lineage obtained increase through the greatness of Simhanandi. The Kūļlūr plates of king Mārasimha dated Saka 884 (AD 963) confirm the above.? The Humcca Pañcavati stone inscription dated AD 1077, while tracing the spiritual descent of Jain gurus, connects Simhanandī with the creation of the Ganga kingdom." But the most interesting account of Simhanandi's achievements is given in a stone inscription found near the Siddheśvara temple on Kallúrgudda, Shimoga-hobli, Mysore, which is dated AD 1122,9 and also in another record dated ad 1129.10 From the above inscriptions we learn that the region around the city of Perür was a strong centre of Jainism and that the destruction of a Sila-stambha, an Aśokan Pillar according to Saletore, 11 by Konguņivarmā symbolises the conquest of Jainism over the existing Buddhism in that region. A copper plate grant found in the ruined basti at Noņamangala, assigned by Rice to c. AD 370, dated in the 13th
*CII, III, pp. 258-60. 2ibid, p. 66.
EI, XX, pp. 59ff. "Saletore, MJ, p. 10. SMAR, 1925, p. 91. OSII, p. 387. MAR, 1921, p. 19. 8EC, VII, p. 139. Pibid, pp. 6, 17, 21. loibid, II, pp. 25-26. 11 MJ, pp. 15-16.
