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JAINA CELEBRITIES IN THE VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE 381 famous in Kannada literature. 1
Another prominent writer connected with Muqubidre was Nemanna, the disciple of Silabodhi. In A.D. 1559 he wrote Jñānabhāskaracarite. He took dikşā and joined the group of Srāvakas who had renovated the Hiriya basadi at Mūdubidre.2
The cordial relations which prevailed between the different communities under Vijayanagara, which we have already referred to above, are further seen in connection with the work of Bāhubali, who wrote the Nägakumāracarite (circa A.D. 1560). In this work he tells the following—That the guru of Sringeri Narasimhayati, called also Narasimha Bhārati, was in the temple called Sarvatobhadra in that city ; and that the protector of this head of the Sringeri pontificate was the ruler of the south, Aritāya-ganderadāvani, a devotee of Jina, Bhairavendra, ruling from his throne at Kelavane (Kervāśe ?).3 Now we know from independent evidence that Narasimha Bhārati mentioned here was not the first of that name, who was the contemporary of the king Harihara Rāya II.4 The Sringeri guru spoken of here must have been the second of that name, who was the contemporary of the Emperor Sri Ranga Rāya, I. And, as regards Bhairavendra mentioned by Bahubali, we may identify him with Bhairarasa Odeyar of Kārkaļa. This supposition is based on the Harihara matha inscription dated A.D. 1573 which contains the interesting information that Bhairarasa, Narasimha Bhārati of Sringeri, the Emperor Sri Ranga Rāya I, and Madhava Sarasvati, the head of the Hariharapura matha, were all
1. Kavicarite, II. pp. 276-280. Devacandra has some interesting details to give concerning him. Ibid, p. 276.
2. Ibid, II, p. 281. 3. Ibid, II, pp. 287-288. 4. 369 of 1927 ; M. A. R. for 1934, pp. 116-126.
