Kevalaodhi Buddhist And Jaina History Of Deccan Vol 2

Author(s): Aloka Parasher Sen, B Subrahmanyam, E Siva Nagi Reddy
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan

Page 87

Patronage of the Imperial Cholas to Nas Jair sm
Rajagambira Sambuvaraya, also known as Attimallan Sambukulaperumal, was a Sambuvaraya feudatory of Rajaraja III. Kunrathûr, also known as Rajagambiranallur, was a Pallichandam. In 1236 AD he donated Kunrathur to Pangalaraya, son of Ilalaperuman of Virappäkkam with all selling rights. This was well utilized for the Jaina temple in that village.
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The Jainas established schools in their monasteries and taught many of the students, religion, literature, philosophy etc. A Jaina teacher Anantaviramuņi is said to have mastered Vyakarana (grammar), Nigandu (lexicon). Ganita (maths), Vatsayana (erotics), Jyotisa (astrology), Gandarva (music), Sakuna (augury), Chandas (prosody), Manu (law), Alankara (rhetoric), Mahäkávya Naryanatak (poetry & drama), Adyatmika (philosophy), Arthaśästra (politics), Siddhanta & Pramāṇa. In fact, many of the Jaina scholars contributed to religious and secular literature.
Yapperuńkalam and Yapperunkalakärikai, were works on prosody and written by Amitasagara (Boundless Ocean), a Jaina scholar. He was a disciple of Gunasägara. Two epigraphs of Kulottunga I from Nidur mention that he was requested to come and stay in Sirukunranadu, a part of Jayankondachōlamandalam by the ancestors of one Kandan Madhavan of Kulathů, where he composed the Yapperunkalakärikai. Kulathûr later came to be known as Karikaikülattür as Amitasägara stayed at Kulathur and completed Yapperunkalakarikai there.
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The Chola rulers patronized Jaina scholars. Gunavirapandita, a native of Kalathur wrote the, Neminatham and the Vachchanandimălai. Though these are works on grammar, they were named after the Tirthankara (Neminatha) and Vachchandi, the guru of Guna Virapandita. Neminatham is a venba of the first two parts of the earliest Tamil work Tolkäppiam with little changes and additions and Vachichanandimālai also known as Venbapaṭṭiyal defines various kinds of Prabhandam in a hundred verses. It also makes a reference to Kulottunga Chola II. Pavaṇandi, a great Jaina scholar and grammarian wrote the Nannal. He was a contemporary of Adiyarkkunallar and a native of Janakapuram, a part of Kanchi and was patronized by Siyagangan of Kolar (1178-1216 AD). The five minor Epics such as Yasodhakavya, Câlámani, Udaynankathai, Nilakesi and Nagakumarakavya belonged to the reign of the Imperial Chōlas. Kalingattuparani by Jayankondar, Merumandirapuranam, Tirukkalambakam, Nariviruttam, Gananal, Pavainal and lexicons like Divakara Nigandu by Divakaramuņi, Pinkala Nigandu by Pinkalamuni and Chadamani Nigandu by Mandalapursha were composed during this period. Civakacintamani by Tiruttakkatevar is noted as a Book of Marriage. Naccinárkiniyar refers to Tiruttakkatevar as one belonging to Chola race. Civaka with eight,wives enjoyed worldly life but ultimately, renounced everything and became a Jaina monk.
The Chōlas were great lovers of art architecture. The structural temples and stone images are unique in their characters. A stone image of seated Tirthankara made of soapstone in Karnataka style belonging to Kulottunga Chōla III's is found in the Cholisvara temple in Aragalur in Salem District. There were two Jaina bronzes in the same temple: a Tīrthankara is in standing posture and a yakṣṭi, both in Karnataka tradition. Images found in Kundavai Jinalaya belonging to the Chola period are excellent specimens of Chola art.
The Cholas, with their tolerant nature, patronized all religions in spite of being Saivites. The practices they followed in Siva temples such as donation of tax free lands, lighting the perpetual lamps, fostering education, feeding the monks, patronizing scholars, establishing monasteries, building temples, making sculptures and icons, donating land, money, gold etc., for the temple activities were also continued