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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
339
sthāvara-tīrtham Kalncledevar bhūvalayadolage jangama-tirtham Beldevam baredam ilvede Mallacari.!2
I had also, in the meanwhile, written to Dr.J.P.Jain (lucknow) seeking some clarifications on this problem. He, in his letter (dated 30.4.1981), kindly drew my attention to the last passage on p.42 of his paper and reiterated his views expressed in it. The following lines in the passage deserve special attention : “. . .There is nothing in the record to identify the first two or to fix its date. Yet presuming the ruler to be identical with Ereya, the Ganga King (C.907-913 A.D.), the date of thc crection of the Gommata image has been fixed as 907 A.D. Apart from the fact that this dalc is impossible for historical reasons, as discussed carlier, a ruler named Ereya, the father of Visnuvardhana Hoysala, and a Guru named Kalneledeva of Surastha-gana are known to have belonged to about the end of the 11th century A.D. Hence in all probability the inscription in question belongs to that period and not to the beginning of the 10th century. . .”
After carefully taking into consideration the relevant parts of these two papers of the two learned scholars and scrutinizing the concerned Report and the Inscription, I have to present the following observations:
A pet name is generally given in child-hood and this could be true of Câmundarāya. Acārya Nemicandra even recorded his former friends and later pupils name as Gommata and, Gommatarāya4 etc. Then things associated with Gommata or Gommatarāya were also called after his name: Gommata-Jina, Gommata-silā, Gommata- suita or Gommatasära and also Gommalesa or Gommatadeva. On the other hand Bahubali, the ascetic Lord, could not have been called 'Commata' first and straightway, but Gommatesa, Gommatadeva or Gommalaswāmi
with his image in view as installed by Cāmundarāya. Then if we Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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