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the cause of supporting Jainism in unparalleled magnitude. She commissioned a Māņikya-jinabimba in bronze, in C.E. 970. At Koppaļa, she courted death by abstaining from food.
Kundanasomidevi was the first poetess of Karnataka. Her accomplishments in learning and fine arts, her patronage to the erudite, deep devotion to Jinadharma, her knowledge of Jaina doctrine - are applauded in the inscriptions. Koppaļa inscription has the following benediction: with the death of people like Kundaņasomidevi, kind words of charitable disposition like bounteousness and righteousness, vanished from the world.
Mārasimha-II, Butuga's second son, was one of the greatest persons of the period. He was Duke of Gangavādi territory. Inscriptions eulogize his generosity to protect Jainism. He had commissioned basadis at Puligere, Hunugunda and other places, erected āanastambhas and made endowments. He was mainly responsible for the glory of the Rāsțrakuta dynasty. But when he failed in his mission in C.E. 974, he willingly submitted himself to the inevitable death by the rite of sallekhanā, in presence of his preceptor Ajitasenacarya.
Cămundarāya (Raya, An. n. a), Priminister and General of the Gangas, commissioned the monolithic colossus of Lord Bāhubali at Śravaṇabelgola. Ha also commissioned a basadi, named after himself, on the smaller hill a Sravaṇabe!goļa. On top of it, his son Jinadevana commissioned another basadi. Rāya's early life was devoted to wars but later life was wedded to religious activities. Both Ajitasenācārya and Nemicandrācārya were his preceptors. The latter, bearing the surname of Siddhānta Cakravarti, encoded the quintessence of Jaina philosophy in the Gommata-sära, a major canonical text in Prakrit. Raya also wrote Camundarāyapuraņa in Kannada, Caritrasāra in Sanskrit, and Viramārtānda, a commentary which is not extant. His younger sister Pullabba, followed her ideal life and finally embraced sallekhanā in the Candranātha basadı at Vijayamangalam, where a bas relief depicting the scene of Pullabbā engrossed ir deep meditation exists to this day.
Epitome
Jainism found a congenial home and royal patronage in the domains of the Ganga monarchy which produced some of the eminent protagonists who vehemently vouched Jainism. Gangas had a strong tradition of spiritual lineage which started from their first-mentor Simhanandi. The Gangas with their latei overlords - Rāstrakuțas - together shouldered the yoke of Jain chariot and pushed i1 to the apogee of popularity, and that was undoubtedly the best period of its glory Succeeding ages will revere the Ganga memory as their contribution to the Jair iconography, art, architecture and literature is peerless. They provided the strong infrastructure for Jainism in Karnataka and thus have carved a niche in the temple of fame in the history of southern India. ole
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