Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 220

Historical Role of Jainism
209
teacher Jainasena's work, Ādipūrāņa, that King Kțishņa II was his desciplel. Though there is no epigraphical evidence to show that Kộishna gave gifts to Jaina establishments in Andhra, it may be presumed that the Jaina centres which are maintained by his father's support, might
ve received his patronage, as the Jaina sculptures from Dana vulāpādu in the Cuddapah district, Pedatumbhalam in the Kurnool district. Konakondla in the Anantapūr district, reveal the Rāstrakúţa influence.2
Indra III, the successor of Kțişhņa II, was also a parton of Jainism. During his reign, Bodhana in the Nizāmabād district and Danavailapāda in the Cuddapaḥ district became the flourishing tirthas. Podana, the present Bodhana, appears to have been a stronghold of Jainism even, in early times. It is celebrated in the Jaina literature as the capital of Bāhubali. It is also mentioned in connection with the life of Pārsvanātha. Even now, the village Bodhana possesses innumerable Jaina sculptures and inscriptions. It is also known from one of the Sravanabelagola inscriptions5 that the emperor Bharata, son of Adinātha caused to be made Podanapura i. e. Bodhan an image of Bāhubali, 525 bows high. But no trace of it is to be found there now. Indra III is also known to have built as stone pedastal for the bathing ceremony of Šāntinātha,6 at Danavalapādu. Innumerable inscriptions engraved on sculptured pillars, pedastals of images and stone tablets have been traced here by archaeologists.? Herein was excavated chamber of bricks in which was enshrined an image of Pārsvanātha. It is also evident from an epigraph that Srivijaya, who was the great commander of Indra III. observed the vow of Sanyāsana and terminated his life.
From the table inscriptions on the nishidhi memorials, as said above, we learn that it was the place to which pious Jainas restored and observed then the vow of Sallekhana. It is apparent that Danavalpādu was considered to be a sacred place and faithful followers of the Jaina religion thronged there from distant places in order to observe the vow of Sallekhana for terminating their lives. The word Sallekhana is a death by slow starvation'. This vow is generally undertaken with the
1. 2.
JBBRAS, XXII, p. 85. S. Gopalakrishna Murthy, op. cit. Ch. IV. Adi purana, IX, 65 - Phase passage XIV, 43. Bharata (Telugu monthly) 1933, Sept. p. 26. EI, II, No. 234. SII, IX, Pt. 1, No. 63. ASR, 1905-6, pp. 121-122. EI, X, p. 147 ff. ARSIE, 1905-6, p. 121. 27
6. 7. 8. 9.