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Outstanding Contribution of Jainism
To Karnataka Culture
Dr BK Khadabadı
Jainism is an ancient religion It is rightly called Ethical Realism Dccply moved by the chaotic nnd miscrablc political social and cconomic conditions prevailing in the north-castern region of India in 600 BC, Lord Mahavira rightly preached this cthical code with its five-fold great vows as an effective antidote to those aucsul conditions and also for the common good of all the mankind It was received very well round about the arcu Soon Lord Mahavira had a unique band of closc disciples and well organised four-fold sangha Later on his disciples and, then, thc pontiffs and numcrous other tcachers carried on the torch of his valuable preachings and teachings, which can be said to have culminated into Ahimsa, Anekuntavada and Kriyavadu, 10 the various parts of the country
Events of history no doubt indicate us that the first team of Jaina tcachers may have entered South India, viz , the Telugu country first, through Kalinga as carly as 600 BC and, thus, they were pioneers in bringing the teachings of Lord Mahavira to the South But it is the second cam certainly a larger one, hcaded by Bhadrabahu I and accompanied by his royal disciplc Candragupta that cntered Karnataka region in 300 B C It firmly established its first colony at Kalbappu, the modern Sravanabelagola, and then, conveyd and radiated therefrom those teachings more effectively and extensively to the nearby and deeper southern regions Thus Karnataka can be said to have been rather the Southern Headquarters of this great faith in the carly days Then assuming further strength later in the medieval period, it became the very "home of Jaina-dharma" as history would announce through the well-known Kuppatura Stone Inscription dated AD 1408 (Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol VIII, Sh 261) Perhaps taking all this in view, Dr Saletore seems to have observed in his Medieaval Jainism "The history of Jainism in South India is primarily the history of that religion in Karnataka"
Hence it is but natural that thc contribution of Jainism to the culture of Karnataka, indeed as a constituent part of its contribution to Indian culture in general could be not only manifold but also of abiding value Even the outstand
