Book Title: Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline
Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
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44 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
celebrated Camuṇḍa Raya. From the inscriptions at the side of the colossal statute of Gommata at Sravana Belgola we learn that it was Camuṇḍa Raya, the famous minister of Rajamalla, who was responsible for making the stutue. The date must have been about AD 983.1 Another inscription, found at the same place, composed by the Jain poet Sujanottamsa or Boppana and dating about AD 1180, tells something of the character ascribed to Gommata, relates how Camuṇḍa Raya came to have the image made and describes its wonderful character.2
Important light on the Jaina ganas, Samghas, sākhās and gacchas and also on the celebrated teachers have been thrown by the inscriptions. By the eighth century AD various gacchas originated in the north with the traditional 84 disciples of Uddyotana who, according to the Kharataragacchapaṭṭāvali flourished 550 years after Devardhi,3 The Gandhani inscription on the back of a metal image of Adinatha, dated vs 937 (AD 880), although mentions Uddyotana and his two disciples, does not, however, refer to the gacchas. But other inscriptions, specially of the South, refer to Addakali, Desika Gana, Hottage, Mesapasana, Nandi, Pogala, Pogari, Pulikal, Pustaka, Sarasvata, Tagarigal, Tintrinika and Vakra gacchas. Of the ganas mentioned in the inscriptions we may refer to Balagara, Balatkara, Desiya, Deva, Dramila, Eregittur, Kalor, Kavaruri, Kranur, Nandi, Pogariya, Punnagavṛkṣamula, Sarasvati, Sena, Śrūta, Tavula and Valahari, while for the samghas we have Deva, Dramila, Mūla, Nandi, Navilur, Simha, Nirgrantha, Sena, Śramaņa, Śvetapata and Yapaniya. Names of more than 300 Acaryas or teachers, and of the groups or sects to which they belonged, and in many cases glimpses of their activities are recorded in the inscriptions and these are indeed very helpful for a basic understanding of Jain activities in different parts of the country.
Parsva and Mahāvīra
Historical Jainism begins with Parśvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthamlara in the line of Jain spiritual teachers. The strongest argument to prove his historical existence has been put forward by Jacobi who has shown that a Buddhist Sutra mistakenly attributes
1Narasimhacar, EC, II, pp. 10-23; tr. p. 89, nos. 175, 176, 179.
2No, p. 234.
IA, XI, p. 248.
"Nahar, JLS, III, p. 164.
