Jinamanjari 2000 04 No 21

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

Page 52

Vikrama Sāntara ruled from C.E. 895 to C.E. 935, and Vira Sāntaradēva-III ruled from C. E. 1157 to C. E. 1194. The Santara main line at Pombucha was divided, the rival branch as a feudatory of the Hoysaļas was ruled from its capital Hõsagunda, a place about 40 kms north of Pombucha, and the main line remained as feudatory of Kalacuris. The division weakened the Sāntara dynasty and was eventually driven out of Sāntaļige. The main branch moved its capital to Kaļasa in Mudagere taluk in C.E.1290 and thence forward came to be known as Kaļasa kings. Later, their capital was shifted to other places like Kaļasa, Honnāļi, Sētu and Hosagunda.
The Sāntaras were ardent Jains from the beginning to the last. Jainism took root in the principality with the Jain patriarch Jinadatta settling at PatțțiPombuchchapura being the capital. From there the message of Jainism spread all over the principality. By eighth C.E. the work of spreading Jainism all over the principality was completed and by 9th C.E., Jainism became more powerful.
Vikrama Sāntara was an ardent Jain and in C.E. 898, he commissioned a basadi in sione on the hillock near the capital. He also made land grants to it and handed to Mõni-Siddhānti-Bhattara of Kundakundānvaya. Pāļiyakka, wife of Vikrama Sāntara, also caused a basadi in stone, and her mother became a mendicant and observed sallekhană in that temple. Trilõkyamalla-Vira-Santara commissioned Bhujabhala-Sāntara Jinālaya in C. E. 1065 at the capital. Tailapa-II gave lands to Tirthadabasadi which was commissioned by Nokkayya Setti to mark coronation of the king. Tribhuvanamalla Santara who ruled from C. E. 1090 to C.E. 1130 consecrated a Jina image in a basadi, in C. E. 1103.
The Sāntara queens were ardent Jains and were a source of inspi kings and the princes. Many queens, independent of their men folk made grants to basadis; in some cases joined hands with their men to make larger and more effective grants. Trailökyamalla-Vira-Sāntara's wife Cāgaladēvi caused a makaratorana in front of Nokkiyabbe basadi, in later half of the 11th C. E. When Biraladēvi, the mother of Nanni Sāntara-II ( C. E.1027-35) died, her elder sister Cattaladevi brought him up. She caused Panca-basadi in the capital. When Nanni Sāntara-II came to age, he gave some villages to that basadi, and the custody was given to preceptor Ācārya-Kamaļabhadra-dēva. Vikrama Säntara-IV (C.E. 1147-- 56), his sister Pampā-dēvi and her daughter Bācala-dēvi together extended the Pancabasadi and gave it a grant and a vrtti, in the coustody of Acārya VāsupūjyaSiddhaātadēva. Pampaādēvi was a Jain scholar who had studied Jinasena's Mahāpūrāņa.
Pegade Puļiyanna, the minister of Vikrama Sántara, gave lands and gardens to the temple built by his king and his consort. Vira Sāntara's minister Nakuļarasa who was described as the garuda of Biruga Sāntara and his raņarangaksetrapāla were ardent Jains and disciples of Puspasēna-muni.
The popularity of Jainism in the Maņdali was to a great extent the result of the missionary work of Jain preceptors of Sāntaļige Sāsira. The epigraphs of the period give a fairly long list of names of Jain preceptors who were well versed in Jain philosophy and also in other subjects which were popular at that time. Many of them were authors, and some of them were preceptors of the kings, their queens and ministers. Ayyadēvar was the author of Tatvārtha-sūtra, Anantavirya-bhattāraka was the author of Vrtti and Akalanka-sutra, Sreyāmsadēva had become famous as Vaidyagaja-kēsari, Sumati-bhattāraka was an ekaJain Education International For Private 49ersonal Use Only