Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 31

The Jains through Time
in Buddhism as they are in Jainism. This If the history of India today is fascinating to suggests that either Ashoka was a Jain before world scholars, and the country itself a he became a Buddhist, or that Samprati's vibrant centre for research, Kharvel's rock rock edicts have been wrongly ascribed to inscriptions are undoubtedly one of the Ashoka. Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain considers those important reasons. Many rock inscriptions pillars and rock edicts inscribed have been uncovered to date, but the devanampiyassa, piyadassinlaja - the king who information that Kharvel's edicts contain is is beloved of the gods and beloved of the unparalleled. Their beauty is unsurpassed. eyes'- to have been set up not by Ashoka, These are the only rock inscriptions which but by Samprati?. The reason for this is that give important and detailed information the term devanampiyassa, piyadassinlaja was about the social, political and economic used for Samprati, and devanampriya - conditions in Kaling during that period, and 'beloved of the gods'- was a characteristic about the lineage of its founder. It is here epithet used for Ashoka. It should also be that we find the first use of the name noted that even the term devanampriya Bharatvarsh for the subcontinent. These belongs to the Jain tradition, and was edicts also give us considerable facts about possibly used for describing Ashoka. the life of the local people of Kaling as well
as a deep insight into how seriously the Kharvel - A Great Leader of Cultural kings took their duties to their subjects. Consciousness
Emperor Kharvel had these rock edicts My gaze now turns to another bright star inscribed in the district of Puri in the shining in the Jain firmament like Emperor present state of Orissa. Three miles away Samprati, the Emperor of Kaling, Kharvel from the capital Bhuvaneshvar there is a (29 century BC). Though his devotion to mountain range called Khandgiri. One of Jainism defeats my feeble powers of the northern summits is called Udayagiri expression, I am glad to accept the challenge and situated on this mountain is the ancient of trying to describe some of what he did. and massive Hathigumpha temple. Kharvel
Pramukh Airlesik ke Push Aur Mahilaw, Dr. Jyuti Prasad Jain, p.31