Nirgrantha-2

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 91

Nirgrantha And to judge from the characters, king Indra will have to be identified with the Rāṣṭrakūta Nityavarṣa Indra III, for whom we have the dates A. D. 915 and 9167 or with Indra IV, the grandson of Krsna III who died in A. D. 982. Before attempting to decide which of the two kings could be intended here, it may be useful to mention the existence of a record of the Rastrakūta king Nityavarṣa in the Jaina ruins of Dänavulapäḍu, quite close to where the subjoined pillar was dug. It is engraved round the rim of a stone pedestal and consists of a single Sanskrit verse...." Sastri is inclined to identify the king with Indra III; in other words, both the epigraphs belong to the beginning of the tenth century A. D. This inscribed pillar surmounted by a kalaśa appears to be a niśidhi and bears three bas-reliefs (Plate 11); the lowest has a horse with a rider together with an umbrella-bearer standing behind; the central one shows a kneeling worshipper; and the upper panel bears a seated Tirthankara with a Yakṣa and Yakṣi on each side, besides three lions. The stone pedestal referred to in the quotation above is a fine piece of caturmukha sculpture (Plate 12). The circular base or panivaṭṭam is finely sculptured and bears an inscription the purport of which is that Nityavarşa (Indra III) caused this pitham for the bathing ceremony of Śantinatha, the 16th Tirthankara. There are about half a dozen nisidhis here21, each of which bears an inscription (Plates 13 and 14). One such memorial refers to Kanakakīrtideva, a preceptor of Adisetti, while the other mentions one Adi (setti), son of Ballava Simgisetti of Penugonde. Another pillar divided into two panels-lower one showing a worshipper and the upper seated Tirthankara-mentions the burial as of Maṁgava, daughter of Vijayanna, a vaisya of Penumgonda. This Penumgonda or Penugonde is modern Penukonda in District Anantapur and was famous as one of the vidyāsthānas or seat of leaning of the Digambara Jainas of Karnataka. These epigraphs may belong to the 14th century.
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H. Sarkar
It is thus evident from the foregoing discussion that Jainism flourished in Andhradeśa from the seventh to about the 14th century. There were Jaina settlements all over the coastal areas and in Telingāṇa and Rāyalsīmā regions. Impetus came not only from Karnataka but also from Maharashtra and Central India; the plastic tradition betrays virtually np influence of the Tamil country.