Book Title: Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs
Author(s): P B Desai
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
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142
JAINTON IN SOUTH INDIA
bo'made a gift of areca-nut garden and house-sites laving the feet of the preceptor Nagachandra Siddhānti in the year A. D. 1028–29, during the reign of the Western Châlukya king Jagadēkamalla I, when Rēvakabbarasi, wife of the governor Vāvanarasa was administering Posavür. Nāgachandra Siddhinti was a preceptor of great reputation, being the pupil of Jayakirti. An earlier preceptor of the line who bore the epithet Traividyadēva, is also nontioned in the inscription.
MUGAD; YAPANIYA PRECEPTORS: A record from Mugad in the Dharwar taluk reveals the existence of another important and well-established line of teachers of the Yāpaniya sect in that area. The epigraph is dated in A. D. 1045 in the reign of Somēśvara I and registers the gift of lands made by the local official Nārgāvuņda Chāvanda Gāvunda in favour of the Samyaktvaratnākara Chaityālaya constructed by him at Mugunda, for maintaining the repairs and feeding the visitors of the four castes. The gift was received by the senior preceptor Govardhanadēva. This teacher belonged to the Kumudi gana of the Yāpaniya Samgha. The inscription furnishes elaborate genealogical history of these teachers; but on account of the dininged condition of the epigraph in some parts, the successive relationship of some of the preceptors is not clear and the names of some of the intervening teachers appear to have been lost.
The earliest teacher mentioned is Śrikirti. After two or three names which are lost, comes Prabhāśasāňka or Prabhāchandra. Ekavira, Mahāvira, Simhanandi (?) and Narāndrakirti appear to have been the brother touchers of Prabhāchandra. The name of Prabhāchandra's disciple seems to be Nāgachandra. The co-preceptor of the latter was Niravadyakirti, who seems to have had a large number of colleagues who were almost contemporary. They were Vasudēva Svāmi, Pārsvadova Svāmi, Subhachandra, Madhavachandra, Balachandra and Rāmachandra. Rāmachandra had two disciples in Munichandra and Ravikīrti. After this we are introduced to the succession of Niravadyakīrti. He was followed by Govardhanadēva. Next comes Anantavirya whose relationship with Govardhanadēva is not dear. Kumārakirti was the co-teachar of Anantavirya and Dámadandi was the former's disciple. Dānanandi again had a brother teacher in Traividya Govardhanadēva whose disciple was Dāmanandi Gandavimukta. At the time of the gift mentioned before Traividya Govardhanadēva was the senior priest and pontiff controlling the affairs of the monastic organisation with its congregation of monks and lay disciples.
The family of Nārgāvuņda Chāvuņda Gāvuņda was a zealous adherent of the Jaina doctrine and this is attested by the following details. Maha.
1 Bomb. Karn. Insoriptions, Vol. I, part i. No, 78,
