Medieval Jainism

Author(s): Bhasker Anand Saletore
Publisher: Karnataka Publishing House

Page 90

ROYAL BENEVOLENCE
75 damaged stone inscription at Toļaļu, Belūr hobli, Hassan district, dated A.D. 1062, commemorates the gift of some land on the holy occasion of Uttarāyaṇa Sankramana, by the same king to the Jaina guru Abhayacandra of Belave. The latter belonged to the Mūla sangha and to the spiritual lineage which claimed Gautama, Bhadrabāhu, Puşpadanta and Meghacandra as its own.1
Another stone inscription dated A.D. 1069 illustrates the care with which king Vinayāditya II looked after Jaina interests. It was found in the Pārsvanātha basti at Mattāvara, Chickmagaļūr tāluka, and it relates the following--That the king who previous to the specified date had a channel turned and brought to the village of Mattara (i.e., Mattāvara), was now pleased to visit that village again. And on that occasion he went to the basadi on the hill, and seeing the god there, asked (the people) “Why have you built the basadi on the hill (outside) instead of building it inside the village ?” To this Māņikaśețţi replied respectfully—“We beg of your Lordship to build a basadi within the village and richly endow it with wealth and privileges. We are poor but there is no limit to your wealth. Your wealth is equal in quantity to the paddy grains grown by the hill chiefs.”
The king pleased with the speech of Māņikasetti, smiled and said "Very well," and had the basadi built inside the village. He first got Māņikaśețți and other leaders of the town (named) to give specified land to the basadi, and he himself granted for the basadi at Mattāvara paddy income (specified) of the village of Nadali. Moreover, the king ordered several houses to be constructed near the basadi,
1. M. A. R. for 1927, pp. 43-44 Abhayacandra's identity cannot be determined.