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SOME INSCRIPTIONS AND IMAGES ON MOUNT SATRUNJAYA : 167
(४) संवत् १४१४ वर्षे वैशाषसु० १० गुरौ संघपति-देशलसुतसमरा तत्पत्नीगुगां सा०सालिग-सा सजन-सिंहाभ्यां कारितं प्रतिष्ठितं श्रीकक्कसूरिशिष्यैः भ०देवगुप्तसूरिभिः । शुभं भवतु ॥
Fig. 5 shows a part of a beautiful metal sculpture representing one figure of a Jina in the centre, and two smaller Jina-figures on two sides above the halo of the bigger Jina. A two-armed Kubera-like Yakşa sits on a lotus to the right of the main figure, while on the corresponding left end we find a two-armed Yakṣī Ambikā sitting in the lalita-posture. There is no inscription on this image, but on stylistic grounds it can be assigned to c. tenth century A.D. or a little earlier.
Unfortunately the present whereabouts of the bronze are not known, but the present writer had once seen it in one of the temples on Mt. Śatruñjaya. A new photograph of the whole figure is thus not possible and only this photograph of a part of it, obtained from the Sheth Anandji Kalyanji's Pedhī, Ahmedabad, is reproduced here. It will however be seen that the bronze is a beautiful specimen of metal sculpture in Western India.
We have noted above four inscriptions from this site. A few more inscriptions ranging from V. S. 1207 to c. 1405 A. D. are noted below.
Inscription no. 5 is on a metal image in Shrine No. 302 situated on the left side of the chief gate of the main temple of the Caumukha Tunk. The inscription reads as under:
(५) श्री सिद्धहेमकुमार सं० ४ वैशाषव० २ गुरौ भीमपल्लीसत्क(१गच्छ) व्यव०हरिश्चंद्रभार्या गुणदेवियोथै श्रीशांतिनाथबिंबं कारितं ।।
According to this inscription, this image of Sri śāntinātha was installed for the spiritual benefit of Guņadevī, wife of merchant Hariscandra belonging to the Bhimapalli-gaccha. The image was consecrated on Thursday the 2nd day of the dark fortnight of the month of Vaišākha in the year 4 of the Siddha-Hema-Kumāra Samvat.
This is a very important inscription, first noticed by Muni Śrī Punyavijaya and published by him in the Jaina Satya Prakāśa, Vol. VIII, No. 1 (Ahmedabad, 1943), pp. 259-261. The metal image must be very carefully preserved, being the only known inscriptional evidence of the Siddha-Hema-Kumāra Era.
Three great personalities of the history of Gujarat are associated in the name of this Samyat (Era). One is Siddharāja Jayasimha, the second is Ācārya Hemacandra and the third is king Kumārapala of Anahillapura-Pāțan. The era seems to have started with the death of
