Jinamanjari 2000 04 No 21

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

Page 22

(wooden chests for placing) Jina-pratimas. She got 1000 copies of śāntipurāna re-copied on palm-leaf and distributed freely to the householders. She also patronized Ranna (C.E.993) a major poet of the period who composed Ajitapurāna, biography of Ajitanātha Tirthankara. Thus she earned the title of 'Dāna-Cintāmani-Attimabbe' from the Cāļukya emperor.
Tailapa (C.E. 973-97) was the lay votary of the adept Jinacandra-muni and his son Satyāśraya Irivabedanga (C.E. 997-1008) was a lay pupil of Vimalacandra panditadēva. Uninterrupted assistance continued during the reign of these two emperors, father and son, who evinced personal interest. After usurping the Rāstrakūta kingdom and establishing his own dynasty, Tailapa and his son continued Maļkhēd as their residence and Jaina officers, who were under the hegemony of their predecessor's rule. in different cadre and hierarchy were continued to serve the new monarchy. Surprisingly most of the crucial and consequential bureaucracy had Jainas. Besides, the Cālukyas had emerged to the Imperial status with the support of Jaina community and Jaina friars. Sāntivarma. one of the governors of Tailapa, founded a Jina sanctuary at Saundatti and dedicated it to Bāhubali Bhattāraka, in C.E. 980. At Mulgunda, Kereyamma a subordinate, erected a monolith mānastambha in front of Jaina shrine, in C.E. 977. King Tailapa, while camping at Rodda, near Pāvagada, in C.E. 992, granted land, completely exempted from all taxes, to the basadis of Kogaļi and the endowment was entrusted to Ganadhara Bhattāraka, the diocese.
Tailapà honored Ranna, poet-laureate and polyhistorian, with the title of'kaui-cakravarti' (poet-emperor) and presented him with 'Madanavātāra' a parasol of rarity. Till then such an unique distinction was awarded only to Puņiseya Maruļadēva - the Ganga prince - son of Butuga and son-in-law of Krishna-III, again, all the three of them being Jainas.
Ranna (C. 950-1010 C.E) a versifier of eminence was more than a match to any lyricist of the Cāļukya dynasty. He started as a soldier in the army of the Gangas, rose to high rank by the favor of Cāmuṇdarāya, shifted his allegiance to Cāļukyas. He has been credited with two poems - Paraśurāma Carite and Cakrēśvara Carite, which are not extant. Of the surviving works - Ajitampurāņa (C.E. 993) and Sähasa-Bhima-Vijaya olim Gadāyuddha are considered as the best poems of this time.
King Satyāśraya, educated under Jaina pontiff, profusely showered favors on Jaina community. During his period, Jainism held its sway over the elite and the common folk alike. A post-obitum slab was set up at Angadi, for the memory of his Jaina teacher in C.E.990. He endowed Brahma-Jinalaya with Cakravartidatti and a golden kalaša, at Lakkundi. It was caused by the celebrated Attimabbe as her 1501th Jaina temple that she alone had commissioned, in the year C.E. 1107-08. Ranna has authored an epigraph, his last work with which he has bid good bye to his magic wand of creative genius.
Satyāśraya's daughter Mahādēvi was the queen consort of IrivaNoļambadhirāja-Ghateyankakāra, a dedicated Jaina, who had endowed the Jaina house of worship at Maravoļal. Satyāśraya had expressed his deference to the venerable Jaina nun Nāyibbarasi-abbegal, Jaina-dharma-samuddharane, a savior of Jaina faith. During his reign, Răcațūri Jogasāmi had caused a Jina image and a
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