Mahavira and his Teaching

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

Page 327

320 K A. NILAKANȚA SASTRI & V. RAMASUBRAMANIAM, 'AUNDY near Kuņavāy Nagaram, states that the said Nagaram was founded 137 years after the foundation of Tirukkuņavāy temple. That gives the result (1083-189--137=757) A.D. 757 as the date of the foundation of the famous "Kuņavāyir-Koțgam' monastery-temple.' 56. The 14th century poem, 'Unnıyacchi and the 15th century Manipravāla-Kāvya, 'Kokasandesam', mention Tirukkuņavāy Nagaram as a notable place inhabited mostly by Banias, rivalling in importance even Quilon, Cranganore, Mangalore and Dorasamudram. The latter kävya states further that the Tirukkuņavāy temple (called 'Matilakam' also) was under the management of two nāyar families and that the twice-born were not allowed to have 'darsanam of the image of its deity. It is, therefore, clear that the temple was of non-Vedic persuasion. And, AdiyārkuNaļļār, the 12th century commentator of 'Silappadhikāram', who was himself a native of Kongu-Nādu, (not very far from the land of the Cheras), must, therefore, have had very intimate personal knowledge of Kuņavāyir-Kottam, when he wrote that it was a Jaina monastery.? 57. It is relevent at this stage of our inquiry to take notice of another major Tamil epic of Jaina authorship,-viz. the 'JivakaCintāman' (the Concept-Jewel of the Jivaka-story), of Tiru-ttakkatévar (Skt. Sri Daksha Deva), of the 10th century A.C. This poet was also a younger brothr of a king of the Coļa line and has become a monk. He composed this epic, accepting the
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Basing our arguments on some 7th century elements occurring in the texts of 'Sılappadhikaram' and 'Manimekhalai', the late Prof. Vaiyapuri Pillai and myself had arrived at the conclusion long ago that the composition of the twin epics could not be assigned a date earlier than the 7th century A.C.-K. A. Nilakanta Sāstri. Since the early Portuguese regime is said to have used the materials of the 'Matılakam' for building their forts and factories, in the 16th century, the date of destruction of Konavāyırkottam must be the end of the 15th century. Thus the Kottam, founded in A.D. 757, was destroyed in A.D. 1500.
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