Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

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v. V. MIRASHI
as devout as he was brave. His construction of a temple of Pārsvanātha at Kavadegolla has been mentioned above. He erected two more Jaina temples in Kolhāpur. One of them was in the back yard of the temple of Mahālakṣmī. The shrine is now occupied by an image of Seṣasāyi Vişņu, but that it was originally a Jaina temple is shown by the inscription on the beams of the mandapa in front, which states that Nimbadeva, a Samanta of Gaņdarāditya, built the Cartyāgāra. Nimbadeva was a lay disciple of the Jaina Muni Maghanandī of the Kundakundanvaya. Nimbadeva claims that he had obtained the boon of the Jaina goddess Padmāvatī. He erected another temple of Pārsvanātha at Kolhāpur and named it Rūpanārāyana, which was a biruda of his suzerain Gaņdarāditya. This is explicitly stated in an inscription at the Jaina vasati at Terday in the former Sānglī State.? Nimbadeva belonged to the Sarasvati-gaccha, the Deśnyagana and the Mūla-sangha, and was of the anvaya (line) of Kundakundācārya. He placed his guru Māghanandi Saiddhāntika in charge of the temple of Rūpanārāyaṇa at Kolhāpur. This temple is identical with that near the former Sukravāra Gate of Kolhāpur. It was then known as the temple of Rūpanārāyana and was a famous centre of Jainism. It is mentioned in several records of the age. It is now called the temple of Mānastambha from the pillar erected in front of it.
Māghanandī Saiddhāntika was a great Jaina ascetic, highly venerated for his learning and piety. He is thus described in the aforementioned Terdāļ inscription3: “As though the famous Jaina faith has produced a new Tīrthařkara, he preached the principles of Jainism to all people, and was saluted by the Samanta Nimba. Is not the distinguished and shining Māghanandī, the 1. An. Rep. Ind. Ep. for 1945-46, p. 40. 2. See ŚrI-Kollāpurada Nimbadeva-sāvanta māļısıda ŚrI-Rūpanārāyana
devara basa diya, Ind. Ant., Vol. XIV, p. 19. This temple at Kolhapura was probably known also as Savantabasadi of Kollapura. Ep. Carn.,
Vol. II, Introd., p. 61. 3. Ibid., Vol. XIV, p. 23