Jinamanjari 1998 04 No 17

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

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by a lady disciple of a teacher by name Sủyāṇanātha, a resident of the cave. Another inscription from the same place belonging to almost to the same period records the gift of a mandapa by an officer of king Sri Sada who is described as Kalinga Mahişakādhipati and Mahāmeghavāhana. It is known that this king was a successor of King Kharavela. Thus, the caves were excavated some time before the Second B.C.E, and in them resided Jain preceptors like Sủyāṇanātha. In subsequent time, the caves were occupied by the Buddhists till about the Tenth C.E."
Dr. T.V.G, Sastri points that the appearance of Saka chiefs' names on potsherds at Vaddamānu may be attributed to the period of Nahapana, and the inscription of Dhamuti and his family clearly indicates, based on Jain literature, that he was none other than the father of Saka Castana.
The Satavāhana dynasty which began the rule as feudatory under the Mauryas from circa 270 B.C.E., became independent in 27 B.C.E. overthrowing their overlord Susarman, the Kanva king.' A Jain inscription - the Pala cave inscription of the First B.C.E., is perhaps the earliest epigraph of the Satavahana period, and it begins with namo arihantanam and records the gift of one Bhadanta Idarakhita. During their time, Prākrit was the dominant language, and the Kannada, Telugu and Maharashtra were still to be born. A terra-cotta seal from Karimnagar district in Andhra has, within the incuse, Bramhi letter 'sa' and a low relief srivatsa, swastika symbols and triratna. Based on the characters, the seal is assigned to early first C.E.
The above Satavahana evidence that Prākrit was the dominant language of the period prove, in conjunction with the Pala inscription of the Jaina origin and terra-cotta, that the Jaina literary source has historic, cultural and religious value, beyond any doubt. The discovery of the coins of Sātavāhana Simuka in a Jaina cave on the top of the hill called Munulagutta - mound of the monks - near the Kapparaopet in Karimnagar district of Andhra further validates the Jaina literary source on the Sātavāhanas. The Sātavāhanas, according to Jain literary sources, of Paithan were devotees of Jinas. The Kalpaprdīpa of Jinaprabhasuri refers to 52 warriors at the Sātavāhana court who built 52 Jain temples in their own names.' All these evidence
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