Jin Parsva and His Temples in Inscriptions of Karnataka

Author(s): Hampa Nagrajaiha
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

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Vol. III, 1997-2002
Jina Părśva and his Temples....
93
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One of the prestigious among the Pārsvadeva caityalayas was the one constructed by Mälala-devī, the senior queen-patta-mahadevī—of king Kirtivarmā of the later Kadamba kula (EC. VIII-ii (BLR) sorab. 262. 1075. PP. 109-11]. The pratisthācārya of this basadi was her own guru PadmanandiSiddhāntadeva, who was a mandalācārya and a chief pontiff of all the caityālayas of Bandanika-tirtha. This Pārsva-caityālaya at Kuppatūr was renamed Brahma-jinālaya. A socio-cultural significance of the installation was the presence of religious-heads of all 18 sacred places, and the learned ācāryas of Banavase-Madhukeśvara-deva temple who were received with due recognition.. This is a rare occasion of religious tolerance that prevailed among the chiefs of
various castes and subsects within. 15. A dated inscription from Mannera-Masalavāda (Bellary Dt/Harapanahalli Tk)
records a gift of some plots of land to Vinayacandradeva, disciple of Nemicandra. Rāvula by the Mahāmandleśvara Manneya Bhairava-devarasa, a Vaisnava by faith, along with the gaudas and others for the Jina Pārśva temple of the tenth century (ARSIE 1944-45, B. K. No 63] and subsequently repaired by Keśava pandita, the Prime minister of the mahamandalesvara Saliveya Tikama-devara-neyara, as also a general of Seüņa king Rāmacandra. [SII. IX-i. 387. 1297] The name “idila Śrī-Jina-Pārsvanātha-mahācaityālaya appears in an inscription of late mediaeval period (SII. XV. 695. 16th cent.) Kittūr (Mysore Dt/Hg Tk) was the capital of Punnādu (Punnāta, Puṁrāstra) country which flourished between c. 3rd cent. B. C. and c. 9th cent. A. D., mentioned by Ptolemy (2nd cent. C. E.) had unreservedly patronised Jainism. The Brhat-kathā of Harisena (A. D. 931) states that, on the advice of the apostle Bhadrabāhu, a group of friars proceeded to Punnāța-visaya. Kongu-visaya, a seat of Jainism, was on the border of Punnāta. Ganga king Avinīta (c. A. D. 495-555) had married Jesthā, a daughter of Skandavarmā, king of Punnāța, and their son Durvinita (c. 555-605) was also called 'Paunnātādhipati' in the inscriptions. Punnāta's capital Kittūr (Kīrtipura, Kirti-mahānagarapura) was a seat of Jainism; “Kittūru-sangha', a cohort of friars and nuns, originated from this place. Acārya Jinasena of Punnāta-sangha, in his Harivamsapurāņa, has referred to the Punnātasangha bệhat-gana. From Punnādu it spread to Vardhamānapura (Vadhavāna in
the Saurastra region of Gujarat) and its surroundings in the eighth century A. D. 17.1. As it were to support the above facts, a Jina Pārśva temple at Kittūr contains five
inscriptions [EC. III(R) Hg. 126 to 130). One of the undated and worn out epigraphs, on the pedestal of the mūlanayaka Vijaya-Pärsvanātha, seems to record the construction of god Vijayanātha (Pārsva) at Kittür : On palaeographic grounds, the record is assigned to c. 12th A. D. [Ibid., 131 (XIV Hg 141) 12c. p. 518]. This Vijaya-Pārsva image belonged to Müla-Sangha, Känūr-gana, Tintrini. gaccha.
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