Jainism and Karnataka Culture

Author(s): S R Sharma
Publisher: Karnataka Historical Research Society Dharwar

Page 49

HISTORICAL SURVEY
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PATRONAGE OF JAINISM UNDER THE CALUKYAS The history of Jainism under the Calukyas is of more than ordinary interest, because these rulers are generally known to have been a wholly Hindu dynasty. But, as a matter of fact, they were like most Hindu rulers tolerant of all other creeds, except in a few cases towards the end of their powerful hegemony over the South. By far the most famous monarch of this family was undoubtedly Pulakesi II, the great contemporary of the great king Harşavardhana of Kanauj. It was during his reign that Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, visited South India and found Baddhism a generally decadent religion as compared with its more popular rival in the South, Jainism. Bhandarkar has noted that while Jainism came into prominence under the Early Calukyas of Bädāmi, there is absolutely no reference to the patronage of Buddhism in any of the Calukya inscriptions.83 The figure of the king in one of the Buddhist frescoes of Ajanta, hitherto considered as representing Pulakesi II, is now supposed, by some at least, to be but another representation from the Jātaka stories yet to be identified.84 On the other hand, we get many glimpses of the Jaina religion in the inscriptions of the Calukyas, which reveal their patronage of that faith.85
A Jaina inscription at Śravaņa Belgoļa speaks of the Jaina teacher Guņacandra as a worshipper at the feet of Mallikāmoda Santīsa at Balipura.86 Mallikāmoda being a title of Jayasimha I of the Calukya dynasty, it is reasonably supposed that the Belgoļa inscription represents him.? If this supposition is true then we have here our first reference to the patronage of Jainism under the Early Calukyas. This is greatly supported by the
83 Bhandarkar, Early History of the Dekkan, p. 59: 84 Mazumdar, Embassy of Kaikhosru to Pulakesi II J.I.H, IL Pp. 29 ft;
Guide to Ajanta Frescoes, I (i). 85 Vaidya, Medieval Hindu India I, pp. 273.74 ; Ibid. III. P 409. 86 Ep. Car, II, SB 69. 87 Barnett, Nilganda Plates of Vikramáditya VI, Ep. Ind. XII, p. 163,
p. 37 1.42.