Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs

Author(s): P B Desai
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

Page 60

JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
been founded by a Pallava king at the instance of the teachers' Vāmada and Mallishēņa.' It is not unlikely that this Pallava king was Mahöndravarman I.
me. It is of interest to note that the earlier attachment of Mahēndravarman I to the Jaina doctrine is alluded to, though in an indirect way, in an inscription of his own. The epigraph is engraved on a pillar in a rock-cut cave of the king near Trichonopoly. Describing the erection of the Sivalinga in the cave, the record characteristically states that the knowledge of the king in respect of god Siva was formerly posed in the opposite direction on account of his having followed the path of the hostile creed. The passage in question runs thus:
गुणभरनामनि राजनि अनेन लिङ्गन लिङ्गिनि ज्ञानम् ।
प्रथतां चिराय लोके विपक्षवृत्तः परावृत्तम् ॥ Jina KANCHI: Tirupparuttikkunram, popularly known as Jina Kānchi, is situated at a distance of about two miles from the modern town of Conjeeveram. This place has preserved a Jaina shrine to this day. The presiding deity of this shrine is Lord Vardhamāna who is also styled Trailokyanāthasvāmi. It is the biggest temple, adorned with artistic splendour, in the Conjeevaram taluk and owns a large number of well-preserved icons of the Jaina pantheon. About 17 inscriptions have been noticed by the epigraphists of the Madras Office at this place, and these furnish much useful information about the history of the temple. The epigraphs range from the 12th to 16th century A. D.
One of the inscriptions dated about a. D. 1116 in the reign of the Chola king Kulõttunga Chūļa I, speaks of the purchase of land made by the Rishisamudāya or the assembly of Jaina monks of the place for the purpose of digging a channel. Another epigraph, duted a few years later in the reign of Vikrama Choļa, refers to two transactions, on two different occasions, pertaining to the sale of lands, free of taxes, for the benefit of the Jaina temple. The ķishi-samudaya figures in this inscription also. In this record Tirupparuttikkunram is referred to as 'pallichchandam', which shows that the whole village was a gift property of the Jaina temple. A third record, dated A. D. 1199, introduces a teacher
1 An. Rep. on 8. I. Epigraphy, 1923, p. 4. 2 8. I. I., Vol. I., p. 29. The verae cited above contains the figure of speech known as
double entendre, King Gunabhara was Mahendravarman I, Guņabhara being one
of his titles. 3 Ep. Ind., Vol. VII, pp. 115 ff.; An. Rep. on S. 1. Epigraphy Nos, 40-45 of 1890;
Nog. 188-89 of 1901; Nog. 97-100 of 1923; Nog. 381-83 of 1929. 4 Ibid., No 383 of 1929. 5 Ibid., No 881 of 1929.