Jainism in Buddhist Literature

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Alok Prakashan

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defeated fled out of the city. A Nigantha named Giri saw him and cried out loudly "The great black Simhal is running away" (patayati mahakala Simhalo ti bhusam ravi). When the great king heard this he thought "If my wish be fulfiled I will build a Vihara here (sidhe mama manorathe viharam kāressam) 152 Hence, after a few years when he drove away the Damila Dathika from Anuradhapura and regained his throne, he destroyed the Jaina monastery and built Abhayagiri Vihara in that place.153
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According to the Mahavams Tika, this monastery was the scene of a tragedy in the time of Khallaṭanaga, predecessor of Vaṭṭagamini. This king, when he discovered a plot against his life by his nephew, went to Giri's monastery and ended his life by burning himself. At the spot, where this event occured, Khallaṭanāga's kinsman built a Cetiya called the Kurundavasoka Vihara,154
Jaina tradition takes the history of Jainism in Ceylon to Anera anterior to that reflected by the Ceylon Chronicles. According to Jaina records, the Yaksas and Raksasas who inhabited Ceylon prior to its Aryanization by Vijaya were not only human beings with a well-developed civilization but also Jainas by faith155. The Vividhatirthakalpa mentions that at Trikūṭagiri in Kişkindha of Lanka there was magnificient Jain temple which was dedicated by Ravana, for the attainment of supernatural powers (Kişkindhiyim Lankayah paṭalankayam Trikuṭagrirau Śrisantinathah). To fulfil a desire of Mandodari, the principal queen, Ravana is said to have erected a Jaina statue out of jewels and this, it is said, was thrown into the sea when he was defeated by Ramachandra. Sankara, a king of Kalyananagara of Kannada, came to know about this statue and he recovered it from the bottom of sea with the help of Padmavatidevi, a prominent Goddess of Jainas158.
It is said that the statue of Paranatha which is worshipped even now at Sripura Antariksa (India) was brought by Mäli and Sumali Vidyadhara from Lanka.157 Another statue of Pärsvanatha found in the caves of Terapura is also said to