Religion and Culture of the Jains

Author(s): D C Sirkar
Publisher: University of Calcutta

Page 76

SM. R. CHAMPAKALAKSHMI
61
Not far from Veļāl is a hill called Pañcapāņdavamalai (also known as Tiruppāņmalai) on which the sculpture of Ponniyakkiyār (Siddhāyikā), attended by a Jain teacher, Nāganandin, was caused to be engraved by a private individual in the 50thyear of the same ruler. 45 Nāganandin was a pupil of the Jain preceptor Simhanandikkuravadigal of Ananür. This hill continued to flourish as a Jain stronghold under the Cõla kings Parāntaka I and Rājarāja 1.4 €
Sāttamangalam is another village in the same region, where a Jain temple with a monastery, existed in the periods of Nandivarman II and Kampavarman and also under the Cõlas, Inscriptions of Nandivarman II dated in his 14th (744-45 A.D.) and 56th (786-87 A.D.) regnal years record gifts for feeding ascetics in the local temple. The gifts were made by the Jain teachers, Ilayārappanandi and Jinadiyār.47 Under Kampavarman about (875-76 A.D.), the Jain temple was renovated, a mukhamandapa was added, a shrine for Yakșa Bhattāri was built and gifts were made by Māndavi. wife of Kādagatīyanayar. 46 An inscription (995 A.D.) of Rājarāja calls this temple ‘Vimala-Śrīyārya-Tirtha-palli'.4
Nandivarman II also seems to have made grants to the Jain temple at Perumandür in the South Arcot District. The inscription, which records the gift, mentions the name of the king as Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman, originally regarded as a Ganga-Pallava.50
Thus the period of Nandivarman II represents an important epoch for the Jain faith in Tondaimaņdalam. Most of the Jain centres of this period belong to the North Arcot District and the discovery of Karuppankunru adds one more in the Chingleput District. Quite a few Jain centres seem to have flourished under the Pallavas in the South Arcot District
45 Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, p. 136 ; SII, Vol. II, p. 251. 46 Ep. Ind., IV, pp. 137ff. ; SII, Vol. VII, No. 56. 47 M. D. Sampath, op. cit., pp. 157ff. 48 Loc. cit. 49 Loc. cit. 50 A. R. Fp., 1902. No. 220 ; SII, Vol. VII. No. 847.