Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

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

Page 222

Historical Role of Jainism
The last prominent ruler in the Rāṣṭrakūja dynasty is that of King Indra IV. He is known to have accepted death in the typically Jaina fashion called Sallekhana. Indra's epitap1 describes him as the bravest of the brave. Neither he nor his matrimonial uncle, however, could hold their own dominion against Taila. Both of them were signally defeated. Eventually, they became Jaina monks and died by the vow of Sallekhana. His uncle passed away in 975 A. D. and Indra IV in 982 A. D.
A. S. Altekar appears to be absolutely right in saying that "about one third of the population of pres ent Andhra-Karṇāṭaka professed Jainism during the hay days of the Rastrakūtas. Jainism had a firm ground in Andhra. The Jaina centres like Ramatirtham, Biccavolu, Bodhan, Rayadurgaṁ and Danavalapāḍu in Andhra Pradesh flourished under the Räṣṭrakūtas.
9.
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JAINISM UNDER THE CHĀĻUKYAS OF VEMULA VĀDA (9301000 A. D.)
The Vemulavāḍa Chalukya chiefs were vessals of the Rāṣṭrakūtas and bestowed liberal patronage to Jainism and Jaina writers, Arikesarin II (930-955 A. D.) was perhaps the most remarkable personage of his family. He was patron of Pampa, the first great in Kannada. The Kurkyāla inscription gives us interesting details pertaining to Pampa's native place, his patronage and family, the habitat of his ancestors etc. It is also known from the Kurkyāla inscription that Pampa had a brother named Jaina-Vallabha who was also a poet of distinction like his brother. The main object of the epigraph appears to be to enumerate the pious deeds of Jaina Vallabha. Like his brother Pampa, he embraced Jainism and built a Jainalaya called Tribhuvanatilaka, after erecting the images of all the Tirthankaras and of Chakrēśvari on Bommalagutia near the village Kurkyāla in the Karimnagar district.
The later member of this royal family Boddega, had strong leanings towards Jainism. An inscription on the pedastal of a Jaina image in the compound of the Rajarajesvara temple at Vemulavāḍa in the Karimnagar district states that Baddega II built a Jaina temple named Subhadama-Jainalaya in the capital of Lembulapataka, modern Vemulavāḍa for his teacher Somadevasuri of Gauḍa Samgha.
1. The Raṣtrakūtas and their Times, 11. 131-132.
2.
A. S. Altekar, op. cit. p. 313.
3.
EI. II, pp. 27-30.
4.
ARSIE, 158 of 1946-47.