Yasastilaka and Indian Culture

Author(s): Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

Page 24

1. SOMADEVA AND HIS AGE
records the grant of a village to Somadeva by Vadyaga's son Arikesarin IV in Saka 888 or 966 A. D. for the repairs and upkeep of a Jaina temple called śubhadhāma-jinālaya, built by Vady
dhāma-jinālaya, built by Vadyaga in the capital (Lem )bulapātaka. The name of the village granted to Somadeva was Vanikațupulu.?
It is clear from the above record that in 966 A, D. Somadeva was in charge of the Subhadhāma temple, and seems to have carried on his literary activities undisturbed, as a hitherto unknown work Syādvädopunisad is here attributed to him in addition to Yasodharacarita. He was held in the highest esteem by his contemporaries, and kings and feudatory chiefs are described as reverently bowing at his feet.3
It may be noted in this connection that there are at least two puzzling factors in the inscription we are considering. Firstly, the Samgha to which Somadeva belonged is here called Gaudasamgha: Yaśodeva, the guru of Somadeva's guru Nemideva, is assigned to this Samgha. But, as we have seen, Somadeva himself describes Yaśodeva as belonging to the Devasamgha. Secondly, the capital of Arikesarin IV is stated to be (Lem )bulapāțaka, about which nothing definite is known, although it might be somewhere in Hyderabad State. It is noteworthy that we have so far the names of three capitals of the Cālukya chiefs who ruled in the Jola territory. Arikesarin II, who was the patron of the famous Kannada poet Pampa, ruled at Puligere (mod. Lakshmesvar in Dharwar District); Vadyaga is described by Somadeva as ruling at Gangadhārā; and his son Arikesarin IV calls (Lem )bulapātaka his capital. It may also be noted that just as Arikesarin, the father of Vadyaga, is described by Somadeva as a humble tributary of Krsnarāja (Krşna III), similarly the present inscription describes Arike. sarin, the son of Vadgaga, as a tributary of the same overlord in exactly similar terms.
While Somadeva was a contemporary of Krşņa III and Vadyaga, it is not clear whether either of them was his patron; probably he had no
1 ( )बुलपादकनामधेय निजराजधान्यां निजपितुः श्रीमद्वद्यगस्य शुभधाम जिनालयाख्यवस(तेः) खण्डस्फुटितनवसुधा
#HERR Teie erste fauty ag... TATRATOTT *** sheath a
#STS THT OTH:** *** : Ii'. 2 'Arafaa hata martTha: (a)at a Taf THROAIE..... 3 'अखिलमहासाम(न्तसी)मन्तप्रान्तपर्यस्तोत्तंसस्रक्सुरभिचरणः सकलविद्वज्जनकर्णावतंसीभवद्यशःपुण्डरीकः सूर्य इव
सकलावनिमृतां शिरःश्रेणिपु शिखण्डमण्डनायमानपादपद्मोऽभूत् ।', 4 stitch hradia 112 a Te Pt. Premi (op. cit.) is inclined to identify
this Gauda with the Gola or Golla kingdom of the South, mentioned in the Sravaņa
Belgola Inscriptions. 5 Rico: Kanarese Literature, p. 30. 6 'स्वस्त्यकालवर्षदेवश्रीपृथिवीवल्लभमहाराजाधिराजपरमेश्वरपरमभट्टारकश्रीमदमोघवर्षदेवपादानुभ्यातप्रवर्द्धमानविजयराज्य.
भीकृष्णराजदेवपादपभोपजीविना ।.