Jainism in India

Author(s): Ganesh Lalwani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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JAINISM IN INDIA
enough grains to last them for three years. These statements of the Dvyāśraya Hemacandra reiterates with even greater emphasis in his Mahāvīracarita, the only work in which he has recorded a few facts about himself. In the Mahāvīracarita Hemacandra writes the following prophecy :
“He (Kumarapala) himself will give up hunting, which even the Pandus and others (pious kings of ancient times) did not give up; and all other people will give it up at his command. As he (Kumarapala) has prohibited the harming of living creatures, there can be no thought of injury and other things like that ; even a man of the lowest birth will not kill even bugs, lice, and the like (insects)... Even the creatures which eat meat from their birth will, as a result of his (Kumarapala's) command, forget the very mention of meat like an evil dream. Spirituous drinks ... will be prohibited everywhere ... The drunkards, who are impoverished because of their passion for intoxicants, will prosper again, after they have given up drink at his (Kumarapala's) command, forget the very mention of meat like an evil dream. He will destroy the very name of the game of dice, which Nala and other princes had noi given up, like the name of a personal foe. So long as his (Kumarapala's) reign lasts, there will be no pigeon race and no cock fights.'
In view of these positive statements of Hemacandra which are corroborated by the later chroniclers, hardly any doubt can be entertained about the prohibitory measures enforced by Kumarapala.
Kumarapala probably built many Jaina temples, but unfortunately none of them has yet been discovered, and we have epigraphic record for only one small temple. The Jalor inscription, which records that Kumarapala was enlightened by Prabhu Hema Suri, also records that upon the fort of Kancanagiri belonging to Javalipura, Kumarapala built a Jaina temple containing an image of Prasvanatha, and consigned the same in V.S. 1221 to the care of one Devacarya for the dissemination of Jaina faith (sad-vidhi).
From the Dvyäśraya however we learn of two other temples built by Kumarapala ; one which was called Kumaravihara was erected at Anahilapataka, while the other stood at Devapattana. The Kumaravihara was surmounted with gold encrusted with the gem indranila (saphire,) and inside an image of Parsavanatha made of cryst:1 (sphalika) was set up. In a passage in the Mahaviracarita mention is made of a big Jaina temple erected by Kumarapala near his palace, which was probably identical with the Kumaravihara mentioned in the Diräśrava.