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Studies in Jainology, Prabuit
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PRAKRIT QUOTATIONS IN THE CAVUNDARAYA PURANA
Cāmundarāya was a very great and interesting personality of medieval India from various points of view viz., historical, religious and literary. He was an able minister and brave general under the Ganga rulers of Karnatak between 961 and 984 A.D. He encouraged the Jaina Faith with a zeal which was only next to that of some of those rulers. It is he who got the world-famous colossal image of Bahubali created on the Vindhyagiri at Śravanabelgola. He was a pious royal follower of the great Acārya Nemicandra, generally known as Siddhānta Cakravarti, who composed a few religious works in Prakrit with the specific purpose of instructing this royal lay disciple in the essential tenets of Jainism. Camundarāya also patronized the eminent Kannada poct Ranna. Besides he himself was a literary figure of no mean order.
Some three works are attributed to him: (i) Caritrasāra in Sanskrité (ii) A Vrtti on, or a Pratilipi or Chayā of the Gommatasara
in Kannada? (iii) Cāvumdarāya Purāņa or Trişasti Šalākā Purusa Purāņa
in Kannada The Cavumdarāya Purana was composed in prose by the
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