Jainism and Karnataka Culture

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

Page 77

HISTORICAL SURVEY
III
A like attitude towards the Jainas has been maintained by the present ruling family of Mysore as y ell. We shall, therefore, conclude this chapter with a few exaínples of their attention towards them. Two inscriptions at Sravana Belgoļa speak of Cămarāja Wodeyar's services to the Jainas: therein it is stated that he released Sravaņa Belgo!a from its mortgage to some Jaina merchants and also prohibited the further alienation of its lands. This was certainly a great service to a waning religion, as Jainism was at this time. Lingāyatism had spread far and wide, and a local chief, Jagadeva by name, evidently a Lingayat, had driven out Cárukirti Panditācārya from Belgoļa ; but Cámarāja graciously restored him to his original position and dispossessed Jagadeva of his principality. Thus Câmarāja justified one of his titles proudly borne by him, viz., that he was "Emperor of the Six Dharmas,” just as the Cālukyas had done in order to justify their title of Satyāśraya.
The next instance we know of is that of Cikkadevaraya and Krşņadevarāya I. They seem to have undertaken and completed, respectively, the reconstruction of the pond of Kalyāni— the Dhayaļa Sarovara of Belgoļa - which had given its name for all time to the first colony of Jainas in Karnāțaka. It stands today as it stood at the time of Krşņadevarāya ( photograph on the opposite page ). Under Cikkadevarāya the whole of Mysore excepting the Malnād portions, had been brought under the sway of the Wodeyars: An abortive attempt was made by the Nāyakas of Ikkéri and Bednýr to restore the dominion of Vijayanagara, only to end in failure. But what is of greater interest to us is that in the consolidation of his kingdom Cikkadevarāya seems to have been greatly assisted by his Jaina teacher Vişālākşa Pandita of Yalandūr.208 Cikkaņņa Pandita, a Jaina writer, composed his Vaidya-Nigantusāra or lexicon on
205 Ep. Car. II, SB 250, 852; cf. Ibid. Introd., p. 65. 206 Krishnaswami Aiyangār, Ancient India, pp. 84, 296-97,