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6.4
9
The Early Epigraphic Records of Mathura
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(sarva) Siddhas and then Arihantas who are called Mahāraja. In the first line the word 'sya' is added to 'Mahārāja' and 'Rājādhirāja" (L.L. no. 78) and then immediately the word Samvatsara comes. The name of reigning king is absent but instead clearly mentions the reign of Rājādhirāja era, which is not correctly identified. The inscription in an article about the same image is published in golden jubilee volume by Dr. Sharma is as follows:
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"Adoration to all the Arhats and the Siddhas. In the year two hundred... 299, of the great king and supreme king of kings in the second month of winter on the first day...the daughter of Okharika and the lay sister of Ujhatika and Okha and by Sirika and Sivadina also, the image of arhat Mahavira was set up in the temple of Arhats... and a temple." The related era might be Mauryan or Mahāvīra Samvat. We know that most of the inscriptions of Kuṣāņa reign are available with the detail of Guru's school, śākha with donor's caste and genealogy, such information is not given here. The names of the donors like Okharika, Okha, and Ujjetikā seem to be of foreigners. This may suggest that they were not aware of general trend of writing an image inscription. If one talks about the omitting hundred figure than the above second figure of year 62 discussed in 'The Sythian Period' now in Calcutta Museum comes earlier than the image of year 99 after omitting two hundreds. The donor might have used era that was precedent in their country or simply Vikrama or Mauryan or Mahāvīra Samvat.
Three images of medieval period with the words 'Mula Sangha' and 'Deva Nirmita':
As we know, the main two sects of Jainism are Śvetambara and Digambara. While talking about oldest Sanghas i.e. Mula Sangha and Mathura Sangha, they are always referred to Digambara literature and inscriptions. Though from literary sources it appears that both of these Sanghas have joined Digambara tradition but three images of medieval period obtained from this site reveal different facts. The article on this topic by Dr. Jain clears many unsolved mystery. He accompanied Dr. Rastogi and visited Lucknow Museum and studied the inscriptions of the following three images- accn. nos. J 143 (fig. 122), J 144 and J 145 L.M. The detailed discription of the same is as follows
Jain S., "Śvetāmbara Mūla sangha avam Mathurā samgha- ek Vimarsha”, Jain Vidyā ke Ayama, vol. 6 (1998) 630-634.
