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MEDIÆVAL JAINISM yanagara monarch in which quarter the danger lay. Any false step in the direction of maintaining the prestige of one community at the expense of another would have precipitated matters to a crisis in the very commencement of the political career of the sons of Sangama involving thereby the ruin of their cherished ambition. King Bukka Rāya adopted, therefore, an admirable plan. By a royal decree he appointed twenty bodyguards for the god at Sravana Belgoļa, and, at the same time, ordered the renovation of all the dilapidated Jina temples in the kingdom. He had honoured the famous god at Śravaņa Belgola, and thereby the Jaina religion. Jainism was saved, and its prestige guaranteed in the Vijayanagara Empire. By restoring to the Jainas their ancient privileges king Bukka Rāya removed a source of discontent in a community which, although politically shorn of its ancient power, yet could have turned itself into a seditious section, especially in the precarious period of the fourteenth century A.D. That it did not do so but continued to remain perfectly loyal throughout the Vijayanagara age is in itself sufficient testimony of king Bukka Rāya's far-sighted political wisdom. The Jainas could never forget the service which this monarch had done for their faith ; and it is pleasing to note that only fifteen years after that famous judgment, there should appear the remarkable Jaina general Irugappa whose history we shall describe to some extent presently.
A few instances will show that the magnificent example thus set by king Bukka Rāya had a permanent effect on the wide outlook of the people of the Vijayanagara Empire. Thus, for instance, an inscription of about A.D. 1397 recounting the martial deeds of a famous colleague of General Irugappa, by name Guņņa Daņdanātha, begins in this unique manner after praising the temple of the god Keśava at Bēlur
