Jainism and Karnataka Culture

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

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JAINISM AND KARNATAKA CULTURE Yaśastilaka-campu written by Somadeva about 959 A.D.149 This religious conflict, in the words of Peterson, " drew towards it the attention and well nigh absorbed the intellectual energies of all thinking men." 123
Amoghavarşa I was by far the greatest royal patron of Jainism in the Rāştrakūța dynasty. But he was by no means alone. His father Govinda III had made a grant to the Jaina teacher Arikirti, desciple of Vijayakirti, for removing the evil influence of Saturn from Vimalāditya of the Cālukya family noticed in the last chapter." His brother Kamba, too, appears to have given a village to the Jaina teacher Vardhamāna.195 And Jinasena's Harivamsa-purāna makes it evident that it was composed under Śrivallabha, father of Govinda III.186 The Harivamsa is one of the earliest Jaina versions of the Mahā. bhārata.17 According to the Kathākośa of the Digambaras, Akalanka was the son of King Subhatunga whose capital was Manyakheta.* This was a title of Krşņa I, and Mänyakheta was the capital of the Rāştrakūtas. But this is a mere tradition and the identity of the persons is by no means easy to establish. However, in the light of our knowledge of the galaxy of great writers who lived about this time, the tradition is not without its value. The Akalanka-carita or the traditional biography of Akalanka states that he was the son of Puruşottama, minister of Subhatunga; and an inscription at Śravana Belgoļa also alludes to Akalanka's challenge to the pandits at the court of Subhatunga. He is supposed to have belonged to the DevaSamgha of Mānyakheta.From all these it becomes clear that Akalanka must have had some intimate connection with the
122 Peterson, Report on San. M88 IV, p. 33, 123 Ibid. 124 Rice, A Rāstrakūta Grant from Mysore, Ind. Ante XII, p. 18. 125 Cf. Ep. Car. II, Introd., p. 47. 126 Peterson, Report on San, MSS IV, pp. 107-77; Rājendralal Mitra,
Notices of San. MSS VI: pp. 74-79, 127 Mainly deals with the Jalta version of the Krsna legend. 128 Peterson, Report on Sun, MSS IV, p. 79. 129 Nāthuram Prami, Vidvadratnamälä I, pp. 23-4, Also E. C II (p. ).