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JAINISM THROUGH AGES Dr. Kamini Gogri
(Contd.)
The achievements of Chamundaraya are indeed stupendous. Filled with visions of Jaina unity, he was instrumental in carving out the statue of Gommata, one of the engineering marvels of the world at Sravanbelagola. A great scholar, he was the author of Charitrasara in Sanskrit and Chamundaraya Purana or Trishahti Lakshana Mahapurana in Kannada prose thus setting the trend for celebrated works of literature by Jaina scholars. The period of the Gangas also witnessed literary activity in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada. Notable among these are a translation of Gunadhya's Vaddakatha from Prakrit to Sanskrit as well as a commentary on Kiratarjunaaya by Durvinitha, a learned Ganga king.
The literary zeal of the Jains continued well into the age of the Rashtrakutas, covering not only religion but also embracing many secular branches of learning including mathematics and astronomy. Giant literary figures like Pampa, Ponna and Ranna, thrived under the enlightened rule of the kings of this dynasty. Pamapa's works included Vikramarjuna Vijaya also known as Pampa Bharata, giving a Jaina version of the Mahabharata Adipurana, narrating the story of Rishabadeva, the first tirthankara. Another Jain, Ranna, was the author of Sahasra-Bhima-Vijaya, describing the fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. Neminatha Purana, a history of the 22nd tirthankara, interprets the story of Krishna and the Pandavas the Jaina way. Ganithasarasangraha was a work on mathematics by Mahaveera, under the patronage of Amoghavarsha I. These are the names of but a few men of letters who adorned the court of the Rashtrakutas.
modern world by Shri Veerendra Hegde by setting up a statue of Gommata at Dharmasthala near Mangalore. This statue is nearly 40ft high and has been carved by Ranjal Gopal Shenoy. To assert the fact that Karnataka has been and continues to be the adobe of Jaina art and architecture. LESSON - 8
The fact that Jainism exerted considerable influence over the cultural life of Karnataka during the rule of the Rashtrakutas is borne by the fact that several basadis were erected for the further propagation of the religion in the State. Important among them is the Parsvanatha Basadi at Ron with its exquisitely carved grills depicting gandharvas in scroll work.
In this article we will study the spread of Jainism in Gujarat.
Royal patronage of Jainism has a long history in Gujarat. By the third century BCE Jainism had become a popular religion, which once formed part of the fabric of the kingdom of Samprati. In the Gupta period Gujarat was the chief centre of Jainism in India. This is indirectly shown by the fact that the Svetambar canon was finally redacted at Valabhi 980 (or 993) years after Mahavira's liberation. An earlier council of ascetics under Nagarjuna also met at Valabhi in the 4th century CE, which coincided with the Mathura council. Literary evidences also suggest that Valabhi was the main centre of Jainism in Gujarat until its destruction by the Muslims in 787 CE (Chatterjee 1978: pp.108-109).
It was a Jain ascetic, Silagunsuri, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Patan kingdom in the 9th century CE. Almost all subsequent kings patronised Jainism, regardless of their personal allegiance. The golden age of royal patronage in Gujarat was during the kingdom of Siddharaj and Kumarpal, when not only were temples and upashrayas were built, but Jainism permeated the whole culture of Gujarat, an influence that continues till the present day.
Gujarat has always been associated with the Tirthankara Neminatha and other leading figures of Jain history such as the Digambar ascetic scholar Dharasena, and the Svetambar ascetic scholar Hemcandra. The great places of pilgrimage, Satrunjay (Palitana) and Girnar and Valabhi, where two councils of ascetics were held, are in Gujarat. Even Muslim rulers and their representatives sought the cooperation and support of Jains. The long history of royal The vast inheritance of early and medieval Jaina patronage owes much to the honesty and integrity of architecture has been effectively carried into the a large number of Jain officials, who occupied senior પ્રબુદ્ધજીવન જૂન - ૨૦૧૮
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