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MEDIÆVAL JAINISM Another distinguished Jaina military leader under king Vişnuvardhana Deva was Immadi Dançanāyaka Bittimayya. The Belūr Saumyanāyaki temple record dated A. D. 1136 contains a very interesting account of this remarkable boygeneral. He too belonged to a well known family of hereditary ministers. His father was called Ciņņa Rāja Dandudhiša, the son of the celebrated Udayāditya and Sāntiyakka. Ciņņa Rāja “ bore the burden of king Ereyanga's territory”. To him and his wife Caudale were born several daughters and two sons Udayana and Vişņu.
Of these Vişnu, who "daily increased in size and glory like the new moon," was more fortunate than his elder brother Udayaņa. On his growing up with indications of all good qualities, as a reward to the household of an hereditary minister and a meritorious family, the Hoysala king Vişņu treating him like a son, himself had his upanayanam performed with great festivities. And when he was seven or eight years of age, and was proficient in all the sciences of arms, obtaining for him a virgin-jewel, the daughter of his own chief minister (unnamed in the epigraph), king Vişnu himself lifted up a golden kalaśa and pouring water on his head, gave away the virgin, thus providing him with a marriage of unimagined happiness.
And at the age of ten or eleven, Vişnu having become as sharp as kuśa grass in intelligence, and perfect in the four tests of character--viz., loyalty, disinterestedness, continence, and courage, the king noting this and praising him with his own hand invested him with the title of MahapracandaDandanayaka, with double confidence, and giving him all authority, he (the young Vişnu) became the Sarvädhikāri and Sakala-janopakāri.
The young Vişnu, also known as Immaļi Dandanāyaka Bițțimayya, proved his mettle in a brilliant campaign in the
