Jainism and Karnataka Culture

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

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JAINISM AND KARNĀTAKA CULTURE
real seat of Jaina influence, is revealed by the fact that all the above information has been garnered from inscriptions at Mudbidre to whose temples the Gersoppa rulers made grants. There is also, in the Madras Oriental Library, a copy of a grant made by Sälva Kṛṣṇadevarāya, who is said to have been ruling from Sangītapura (capital of Tulu Haiva-Konkaņa), in the Saka year 1481 Kālayugti month of Āsādha, full-moon, Thursday, to a Jaina temple at Dhārwār.281 Since Sadāśivarāya of Vijayanagara is also mentioned it is to be understood that the rulers of Gersoppa were feudatories under Vijayanagara.
Vênupura ( Mudbidre ? ) is described in an inscription found at the place, among other things, as consisting of colo ರಮ್ಯಹರ್ಮ್ಮ ಚಯದಿಂ ' groups of beautiful Jaina termples and houses, to verify which one has only to visit the place. Further, eveFOYD. 8330Fogor Bodas asocha por !
ಲೀಲೆಯಿನಿರ್ಪು ಶಾಸಕರನಿಂದ ಜೀನೋದಿತ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಶಾಲಿಗಳ್ | ಬಾಲೆಯರಾತ್ಯನಾಥರ್ಗನುಕೂಲೆಯ ರಾಗಿರುತಿರ್ಪರೆಂದೊಡಾ |
ನಾಲಗೆ ಯಾರಿಗುಂಟ ಪೊಗಳಲ್ ನೆರೆ ವೇಣುಪುರ ಪ್ರಭಾವಮಂ ! 232 “Who has the tongue?” asks the poet of the epigraph, “to sing the glory of Vêņupura, where women are true to their lords, and men are ever engaged in the study of the Jaina Şāstras, and worshippers find recreation in giving gifts and performing pūjā, and where even childern are enthusiastic in their adherence to dharma.” The kind of service and gifts they made is illustrated by the construction of the Tribhuvana-CūdāmaņiCaityālaya at Mudbidrê. The inscription states :
“When the victorious king Devarāya's son Praudhadêvarāya had attained the glory of Indra, ('ವಿಜಯರಾಯ ಕ್ಷಿತೀಶಾತ ಜನಾದ ದೇವರಾಯನ ಮಗನಾದ ಪ್ರೌಢದೇವರಾಯಂ ಸುರಲೋಕೇಶ್ವರ ವೈಭವಂ ಧರಿಸಲ್ ತದ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ಮಂ ಪೂಜ್ಯ ಮಂ') and his great minister and general Perumaladeva Was guarding the entire realm ( ಆತನ ಮಹಾಪ್ರಧಾನ ಪೆರುಮೂಳ್ ದೇವ ದಂಡನಾಯಕರು ಸಮಸ್ತ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಮಂ ಪ್ರತಿಪಾಲಿಸುವ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ)
231 Ibid., p. 160; Mad. Orient Lib. Local Records XXXI. 232 Mangesh Rao, op. cit., p. 162.