Jainism in Ealy Medieval Karnataka

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

Page 53

Idol Worship and Tantrism
of Bhadrabahusvami. There are clear indications of the repetition of the practice of paying reverence to the Jaina teachers in more than five Śravana-Belgola epigraphs which belong to the 12th century.
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The spiritual hierarchy of the Brahmanical Gods influenced the Jaina pantheon in Karnataka, and the Jainas paid reverence not only to the Jinas but also to members of their family. If the sons of Śiva (Kārttika & Gaṇeśa) are worshipped in the Hindu religion, son of the first Jina Adinatha is equally preferred for worship in the Jaina religion. In a ŚravanaBelgola epigraph of the 10th century, it is stated that Cămundaraya caused to be made the statue of Gommata and he is said to have consecrated this image The worship of Gommatesvara gained wide popularity among the Jainas of Karnataka by the end of the 12th century, In A.D. 1159,3 the Hoysala King Narasimhadeva gave gift of the village Savaneru for the eight-fold worship of the same image. There are similar other inscriptions from Sravana-Belgola, dated in A.D. 1175,4 A.D. 11815 and A.D. 1196, which contain information about the public adoration of Gommatesvara on the Vindhyagiri hill and register gifts of land for providing flowers and other materials for worship. The above instances leave no doubt that the son of the first Jina came to be worshipped among the Jainas as an independent god by the end of the 12th century.
The worship of the sacred places (nirväṇakṣetra) was also an object of Jaina adoration. The Jainas of Karnataka paid respect to the places which were connected with the lives and attainment of liberation of Jinas and other eminent Jaina teachers. Several epigraphs from Sravana-Belgoļa prove this."
1. EC, ii, SB 119, A D. 1100, p. 49; SB 123, A.D. 1100; SB 124, A D. 1140, p 50; SB 428, A D. 1100, p. 82.
2. Ibid. SB 175-6, p. 89.
3. Ibid. SB 349, pp. 151-4.
4
Ibid. SB 240-2, pp. 101-1.
5. Ibid, SB 256, p. 115.
6. Ibid. SB 237, p. 101.
7 Ibid. SB 10, A.D. 800, p. 3; SB 4, AD 900, p. 3; SB 38-9, A D. 750 and A.D. 950, p. 9; SB 40, A.D. 990. p. 9, SB 41-2; A.D. 1000, p. 9; SB 13, 44, 48, A D. 1100, pp. 9-10; SB 410, 413, 417,A D. 1000, pp. 80-1.