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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Page 272
________________ 246 JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA blows inflicted upon it by its adversaries, namely, the Chalukyas of Karnāṭaka and of Gujarat and the Paramaras of Malwa, prior to the date of our record.' Under these circumstances it is not unlikely that Jejakabhukti which was the territory of the Chandellas, was captured and placed under the governance of Jagadeva by his father Udayaditya. In this manner we can explain the association of the title Jajjugi with Jagadeva. The next item of historical information supplied by our epigraph is in respect of Chandaladevi, one of the senior queens of Vikramaditya VI. She was a princess of the Silahara family of Karaḍ, who wooed the Chalukya king in a svayamvara as described by his court-poet Vidyapati Bilhana in the historical poem, Vikramāňkadēvacharitam." Chandaladevi is known from a large number of epigraphs. But her connection with the province of Alande is disclosed for the first time by two inscriptions of this area, discovered by me. One of them is the Aland inscription of Yuvarāja Mallikarjuna, The other is the present record which speaks of her administration over several bhatta-grāmas of the Alande Nādu. We may here make an attempt to ascertain the connotation of the term bhatta-grāma mentioned above. Bhatta is derived from the Sanskrit word bhakta, which comes from the root bhaj, meaning to share, enjoy'. Hence we can interpret the expression bhatta-grāma as a 'village intended for one's own enjoyment or private maintenance'. Chandaladevi is usually referred to by the epithets, Nritya-Vidhadhari and Abhinava-Sarasvati or Abhinava-Sārada. From what information is available regarding the attainments of this lady, it may be surmised that these expressions were not merely formal. She appears to have been well-educated and accomplished in music, dancing and other fine arts. We may note here with interest how Rakkasayya, the donor of the present epigraph, assigns the merit of his gift in favour of this distinguished lady (Chandaladēviyara dharmavagi, l. 47), who was to a certain extent associated with the administration of the territory. This was evidently intended to place on record his sense of respect to the great lady by the donor and to enlist her sympathy for the benefaction. Now we proceed to make acquaintance with Bibbarasa. He was a feudatory chief who bore, among others, the titles, Kopaṇapura varādhisvara and Alandeveḍanga. No more historical details are available about him in the present record. But this deficiency can fortunately be made good with the help of another unpublished record in my private collection. It is an 1 Compare H. C. Ray: Dynastic History of Northern India, Vol. II, pp. 696-99.. 2 Canto 8. 3 Ep. Ind., Vol. XXVIII, No. 5,

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