________________
Sec. 4. HISTORICAL POSITION OF THE T. S.
of the 2nd-Ist century B. C. records the dedication of monasteries to a monk Kaņi Nauta by lay Jainas, one of whom is Kalitika, son of Antai and the merchant prince of a moreantile guild (nigami) of Velarai. 32 Mattupatti cave inscription at Madurai, goes back to the Ist century B. C.,33 und the cave inscriptions near Pala Poona belongs to the 2nd century B. C.34 However the succeeding histortca) 1ecords of the Jaipas after these early inscriptions are dead blank in all these areas until the 4th-6th centuries A.D., which shows that the prominent activities of the Jainas did not continue until the next stage. From the 4th-61b centuries onwards, the Jaina activities came to be continuously recorded in the inscriptions in most of these areas which went on increasing in number with the march of time, and side by side their literary activities came to be dynamic up to the present day. We shall see below when and how the early references to the Jainas make their appearance after the long blank period in various parts of India from the available data at present.
The earliest reference to the Jainas in Karnataka area is found in the Kudlur plate of Märasimha, in which it is said that Kongunivarman or Madhava I (c. 350-400 A. D.), the founder of the Western Ganga dynasty, "obtained great power by favour of the doctrine of Arbad-bhoțțäraka," and it is added that "by favour of Simhanardi Acarya be (obtained) strength of arm and valour.':36 Madhava II (c. 400-435 A. D.) made a donation to Viradeva Ācārya in favour of a Digambara (Nirgrantha ?) temple. 35 Most of the Ganga kings patronized the fainas, including Avinita (c. 500-540 A.D.) and Durvinita (c. 540-600 A D.). 3/ The earliest Kadamba inscription referring to the Jainas is of Kakusthavarman (c. 405-435 A.D.), grandfather of Mrgesa varman (c 475-- 490 A.D.), registering a land grant to a Jaina Ācārya called śrutakirti.38 Three copper plate charters of Mrgesavarman of the Kadamba dynasty are available to us, which record is land donation to the Arhats for the purpose of abhiseka, pūja etc., in bis 3rd regnal year (c. 477 A.D.),39 to the holy Arhat, the Svetapatas aod Nirgranthas in the 4th regnal year (c. 478 A.D.)40 add to the Yāpapiyas, Nirgranthas and Kūrcakas in the 8th regnal year (c. 482 A.D.), along with an ordinance of the construction of a Jaina temple." The Kadamba kings continued to donate lands to the Jainas. Early Chalukya king Jayasimha, grandfather of Pulakesin I (c. 535-566 A. D.) also seems to have patronized the Jainas.92 Sravanabelgola inscription begins with the year Šaka c. 522 (c. 600 A.D.) recording the history of the migrated sarigha and the samadbi marama of Prabhācandra.43 Sravanabelgola inscriptions in the 7th century mostly pertain to the death fast of ascetics.44 Many kings of various dynasties in Mysore during the 6th to the 12th centuries patronized the Jainas, of which inscription: are numerous, however the earliest epigraphical evid-r.ce of the Jainas does not go beyond the latter half of the 4th century A.D.45 By the beginning of the 6th century A.D., dynamic literary activ.ties seem to have commenced.
BO
117
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
