Religion and Culture of the Jains

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

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RELIGION AND CULTURE OF THE JAINS
by the Vaişņavas. The emperor brought about a compromise between the Jains and Vaisnavas by his famous delcaration that the two sects must not be viewed as different and that the Vaişņavas should protect the Jain sect. This proclamation involved the Jains and Srivaişņavas of the Tamil country. 9 2
In the time of Devarāya II, a Jain temple was erected for Rşabhanātha in Kunrai or Kunnattūr in the North Arcot District in Saka 1363 (1441 A.D.) 3 The Vardhamāna temple at Tācāmbadi in the same District was also constructed during his period. +
Sāļuva Narasimha appears to have patronised the Jain temple of Ādinātha at Ponnur in the North Arcot District. This village was a centre of the Jvālāmālini cult popularised by one Helācārya who probably belonged to the period before 900 A.D.96
Kțşņadevarāya, the greatest of the Vijayanagar rulers, made endowments to the Trailokyanātha temple at JinaKāñci."7 The same monarch patronised the Virarājendrapperumpalli at Karaņdai. 8
The Appāņdār temple at Tirunarungondai was the recipient of endowments under the Vijayanagar rulers in the 14th and 15th centuries A.D.99 Guņabhadra, a Jain sage, who established the Virasangha (Virasanghapratişthācārya) lived at this centre about the 14th ceutury A.D. He is said to be the guru of Mandalapuruşa, the famous lexicographer (author of the Cūļāmaņinigandu), who was a native of Perumandūr and flourished in the time of Kṛṣṇadevarāya.100
Acyutarāya ordered the remittance of taxes for offerings and worship in the Jain temple of Vijaya-nāyakar at Jambai
92 Ep. Carn., Vol. II, No. 334. 93 No. 144 of 1941-42. 94 A. R. Ep., 1941-42, No 155. 95 No. 417 of 1928-29. 96 A. R. Ep., 1928-29, Part II, para. 74. 97 SU, Vol. IV, No. 368; Vol. VII, No. 398. 98 No. 144 of 1939-40. 99 No. 304 of 1939-40. 100 No. 303 of 1939-40; M. Raghava Iyengar, 'Mandalapuruşa and his Age', Quart. Journ. Myth. Soc., Vol. XIII, p. 487.