Jinamanjari 2000 04 No 21

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

Page 32

Sāgaradatta, an affluent trader from Ayodyā, and a legendary figure of honor for the merchant community, on his sojourn to the southern Jaina holy pilgrim centers had founded the Srivijaya Jinalaya at Puligere olim Laksmēśvar.
Altruism continued to the next generation also in the family of notable Bācisetti. His adopted son Pāyisetti, solemnizing the auspicious occasion of concluding a Jaina religious rite in the premises of the temple, commissioned a caityālāva at Kalkeri. Pāyiseịți walked into the hall of fame stepping the footprints of his father, under the direction and advise of Kamalasena Bhattāraka, a pupil of Dharmasena Traividyadeva of Mūlasangha, Sēna-gaņa.
Ādūr in Hāveri district was a nerve center of Jainism for over a period of thousand years, from the time of Bādāmi Cāļukyas. Recently seven more epigraphs of the period of Singhaņa-II, and Rāmadeva have come to light, confirming its prominence in the history of Jainism. Bāgvve - lady pupil of Sirişandi Bhattāraka of Sūrastha-gana, and a spouse of Padeuaļa Cațțayya of Bankārra - died in C.E. 1247 by the rite of sallekhanā at the Adūr Jaina temple. At the same center, yatis like Kumārasena-muni, Mādhavacandradēva, Anantakirtiyati, Muniśvarayati and Devendrayati also performed penance.
A number of nisidhi inscriptions of this age have recorded the names of many Jaina ascetics and their followers who extended benevolence to the flourishing state of Jainism. A lady devotee had founded a basadi dedicated to śāntinātha at Piriya Siggali. During the period of Kannara, mahāpradhānas, manneyakāras, hitturkāras made land gifts. Sarvadhāra-Nāyaka, an officer of Kannara, endowed a part of the income accrued on certain customs to Anantanātha caityālaya which was earlier commissioned by Pāyisețți at Kalkeri. Pārsva temple at Agarkhēd olim Kheda continues to enjoy grants at this time.
Kūcirāja was another prominent officer of king Mahādeva. He was a dedicated Jain, and for the merit of his consort Laxmi, he commissioned Pārsva basadi and endowed the chapel with a grant of land. “A fragmentary record from Laxmeśvara mentions some basadis like the caturmukha, (and the ones named after the patrons like Mallisețți, Jinnojana and Goggiya.] It also mentions the Jaina teachers Srinandibrati, Jayakirtiyati, Padmanandi, Nemicandra and Vijayacandradeva. This line of teachers belonged to Mūlasangha, Sūrasthagana and Citrakūtānvaya. It is well known that from the very early days, Laxmeśvara was a famous Jaina center and the record referred to here shows that it continued to be so in the Sēuņa period also” [Srinivasa Ritti:1973:258).
Bhairavadēvarsa, a grandee of high rank, and others donated endowments to the worship and offerings to Lord Pārsva, the presiding deity of the temple at Mannera Masalavāda in Harapanahalli taluk, Bellary district.. Sāļuva Tikkama, reputed general of the Sēuņa king Rāmacandra, restored and purified the basadi. Vinayacandradēva, the donne, was a pupil of Nemicandra, pontiff of Mülasangha Dēsigana and pustaka gaccha.
During the period of Sēunas, Jainism had popular support, and many fiefs and officers of the monarchy were devout Jains.fo
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. A.S. Altekar, The Rāstrakūtas and Their Times, 1967.
2. P.B. Desai, Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs, Solapur 1957. Jain Education International For Private 29ersonal Use Only