Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

Author(s): Umakant P Shah, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 71

Line 2: Sreshimukhyaḥ śrima[n] tirthaisva(theta)rāṇām niya(ja)-Jina
Line 3
Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras
(bhavana dadhi
cakardveva(ddeva)kośam115 kṛtaścam(s'ca) smatrahetoicaturu
samūna1 puṇyaparṇau(parṇā?) niddhi(dhi)nvām(nām) ṣashavā sam(sam)yutaulau(tosau) ja
Line 5 nanayanamanohārina(ṇam) Durggakakhyaḥ
There is some mistake in line 4, perhaps by one who incised the inscription, can we amend punyaparnau or punyaparṇā to punyasaranam punyasaram? Also perhaps nidhinvam can be read as nidhincam=nidhin ca.
The inscription says that Durggaka, the leader of merchants or the best of merchants, along with Saṣṭhavva erected a temple of Jinas and established a Devakośa i.e., an account of Devadravya, i.e., money to be spent for the Lord, and also he made a lake (?) (vast) like the four oceans, for bathing. Durggaka, an ornament of his family, was a Śrāvaka (pious Jaina lay worshipper) in the Vidyadhara gaccha.117
In front on the lower end of the pedestal, on the right side of the image, is shown a bearded male figure wearing a neck ornament of pearls or gems and holding his right hand over his head, as if in honour of the Jina above. In his left hand he holds an indistinct object. On the corresponding left front end of the pedestal is a female figure in similar posture and wearing ornaments. A small inscription on the side of the male figure reads - Durggamahattaro praṇamati (Durgga the headman bows or makes his obeissance). On the side of the female figure we have - Saṣṭvā pranamati (Saṣṭvā pays her homage). As shown in the inscription on the back of this image, Durgga and Sasthavva are the two donors. My friends Dr. K. V. Ramesh and Dr. Krishnan, of the Department of Government Epigraphist, who kindly read this inscription for me, inform me that Sasthavva is a name which suggests that the donor lady was from Karnataka. Of course we do not know whether the name was also current in W. Khandesh
115[Kuvam ca?] Kṛtam ca
116 metrically defective.
11The Vidyadhara gaccha belonged to the Svetambara sect.
56