Jinamanjari 1999 09 No 20

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

Page 66

line, [I] Vimalasuri [ii] Srikirti [iii] Siddhantadeva [iv] Carukirtideva [v] Mahakirti [vi] Mahendrakirti.
Karkalada Gurupita was established by Bhairadeva Sr. in the year 1504 C.E. Prior to that there was no matha. The spiritual leader of the Bhairava kings was the pontiff, Lalitakirti of Panasoge (now known as Hanasoge) near Saligrama town in Mysore district. When the Bhairva kings shifted to Karkala, they began to receive the Bhattaraka Carukirti of Moodabidre matha. However, all big events were sanctioned by their guru, Lalitakirti of Panasoge. This is supported by an inscription found at the right side of the statue of Bahubali at Karkala. When Vira Pandya king consecrated the statue of Bahubali in Karkala in 1432 C.E., the Pontiff of Panasoge was the principal spiritual guru who oversaw all functions for the event. The lithic inscription in Sanskrit reads thus:
Sa Sa 1353 (1432) virodhikrtu sam rada Phalguna su 12 yu Bhujabaliya [Bahubali] pratimeyannu Karkalada Arasara Gurugaladada Panasoge Lalitakirti Bhattaraka,s order Virapandya, son of Bhairava of the Candra dynasty.
On the left side, the same is inscribed in Kannada. This indicates that Lalitakirti Bhattaraka was of the Panasoge matha.
Bhairava Sr. who was ruling in 1462 sent a request to the Bhattaraka of Modabidre matha to undertake sowbhagya nompi in 1504. As the Bhattaraka was attending to the same festival in Modabidre for his king Cauta, dispatched a monk to Karkala. The disappointed Bhairava received the monk, but anointed him as the Bhattaraka represented by the Panasoge matha, and thus the Lalitakirti Bhattaraka line at Karkala began. This information is provided by a copper plate inscription. In conclusion then, the Jain matha of Karkala was institutionalized as a branch of Panasoge in 1504. The new Bhattaraka who was installed in 1988, and in 1990 the mahamastakabhiseka of Bahubali at Karkala was organized.
61