Jainism in Ealy Medieval Karnataka

Author(s): Ram Bhushan Prasad Singh
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 37

Sources
19
preceded the two Jaina teachers Kanakasena and Jinasena. Of these two preceptors, Jinasena was the teacher of Mallisena Süri. Ajitasena, who is repeatedly referred to in inscriptions at Sravana-Belgola, dated A.D. 9742 and A.D. 995,3 undoubtedly flourished in Karnataka during the last two decades of the 10th century. Since he is mentioned as the first teacher of the three predecessors of Mallisena Sūri, we may safely place him during the middle of the Ilth century, if we assign 20 ycars for cach generation of teachers. It is also substantiated by the statement of the author in his Mahapurana, wherein Mallisena states that it was composed in the Jaina temple at Mulgunda in the Gadag taluq of Dharwar district in 1047.4
Apart from the literary texts, contemporary inscriptions constitute our chief source for the study of the Jaina religion in Karnataka. They are full of information on the patronage of the Jaina devotees who contributed to the diffusion of culture in Karnataka in early medieval times.
The present work is based on the study of about three hundred Jaina yotive and donative records. From a study of the find-spots of the Jaina records, it becomes apparent that the donative records are more numerous than the votive ones. The donative records, which register gifts of land, village, customs dues, etc. for Jaina monks and monasteries, are one hundred and seventy-five in number. They are mostly in the forms of grants of land, village, garden, ctc, made by the ruling class and the pious Jaina devotees of Karnataka. They are generally meant for providing necessary materials for worship, for meeting the maintenance cost of Jajna monks and monasteries, for renovation of the old basadis, and for running charity houses, attached to the Jaina temples.
Of the total number of inscriptions examined by us, the votive Jaina records are not more than ninety-four, 6 Out of
1. Bhairann-Padmavati--Kalpa, vv. 55-6, p. 74. 2. EC ii, SB. 50. p. 14. 3. Ibid. SB 121, p 50. 4. N.R. Premi, op. cit., p. 315. 5. CF. Districtwise arranged list of inscriptions in Appendix 'A'. 6. cr Appendix "B'.