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 99

Dimensions of Båbånagara Inscription
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ii. Interestingly "the Jaina ritual of sacred ablutions was far more complex than that observed in
the temples of Siva, Vişņu, or mother goddess? Ethnographically speaking, abhișeka, lustration, is the most important ritual for Jaina laity. Early Jaina works like Varängacarita of Jațāsimhanandi (circa 7th cent. C.E.), and Yaśastilaka of Somadevasūri (C.E.959) clearly mention that abhișeka is the paramount rite of worship in medieval period. Jaina inscriptions frequently speak of liberal land grants to Jaina shrines to provide for daily performance of elaborate
abhiseka, ablution. iii. “Jains worship a deity who is symbolically represented as a king. The Jain is a spiritual
conqueror. He was born into a royal family as a prince. According to the traditional biographies of the Jinas, many of them were consecrated as kings in the rite of royal lustration (rajya-bhis eka) before they renounced the word” (infra). Symbolism of god as king is reflected in the ritual cultures of Karnataka since early medieval times, kingship has been inextricably
intertwined with the rite of abhişeka. iv. Ronald Inden has rightly observed that “virtually all of the rites having to do with the making
or remaking of a Hindu kingdom during the period of the Hindu kingdom's glory, the eighth to twelfth century, consisted of a more or less elaborate bathing ceremony either of the king or of an image of god.... The rite of abhişeka was essential to remake daily the man as king Without the rite, he was an empty receptacle. After the rite, he was imbued with the luminous
energy (tejas) of the deity". Bijjaņa, the Kalacuri king, visited the Jaina shrine on the occasion of Aștānhika festival.
Nandiśvara dvipa is the eighth and last island situated in the middle of universe. Exactly in the center of Nandīśvara dvīpa stands Añjanaparvata, surrounded by Akrtrima caityälayas on all sides. Deities who belong to the Bhavanavāsi, Jyotişka, Vyantara and Vaimānikā, the four groups of celestial beings, worship the Jina bimbas enshrined in these caityālayas. Exclusively for this purpose, they visit the caityalayas thrice a year in the months of Aștadha, Kārtīka and Phālguņa, and the duration of worship is extended to eight days at a stretch. Hence, the nomenclature of Astanhika' olim 'Nandiśvara Aşt anhika' is used. Since this period is considered very auspicious, Jaina householders visit Jinamandiras to observe vows and donate gifts. In brief, only Jaina laymen and women follow Aștānhika ritual. King Bijja!a, as a devoted votary, after participating in the ritual mentioned above, gave several endowments to mark the event of Aștānhika holy day. It is worth pondering that instead of making an endowment only for khanda-sphuțita-jirņoddhāra, gift for repairing and white washing the temple, Bijjaļa has specified that the donation should be made use of for observing the Astānhika, a festival of his faith.
Ardent Jaina laities occasionally, but invariably, used the typical phraseology of Jina-gandhodakapavitrikrta-gåtra. We do come across this usage only in a few Jaina inscriptions and Jaina poems. Out of about 3000 Jaina epigraphs in Karnataka, this phrase is used in eight charters while introducing srāvaka, Jaina layman, and upåsaki, Jaina lay woman. Instead of quoting the text from those inscriptions, I would rather prefer to record the source of concerned epigraphs chronologically:
i. C.E.963, Kādalūru ii. C.E.1007, Lakkundi (Gadag Dt) iii. Ingalagi inscription of C.E. 1094 (Gulbarga Dt)'