Jainism and Karnataka Culture

SR No.: 011062
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S R Sharma
Publisher: Karnataka Historical Research Society Dharwar
Publication Year: 1940
Total Pages: 263
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

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JAINISM AND KARNATAKA CULTURE
a great authority by grammarians. He was well versed in the three schools of logic, and in the Lokāyata, Sankhya, Vedānta and Baudha systems of philosophy; and in Jainism he became celebrated as Vādighangala. He was, besides, an eminent poet. Like a sun on the eastern mountain, Syādvāda, he destroyed the mass of darkness, arrogant scholars, by the resplendant rise of his learning, cut off the expansion of the lilies, proud disputants, by the rays of his eloquence, and acquired the high distinction of Vādighangala on the earth.
'His eloquence in the exposition of literature made king Ganga-Gangeya ('Ganga among the Gangas', i.e. Mārasimha ), a cuckoo in the grove of delighters in all learning, his pupil. His instruction in politics induced the learned men of Vallabharāja's capital (i.e. Mānyakheta of the Rāştrakūtas ) to show him great honour, which showed to the world his greatness and remarkable scholarship; and his counsel to Kșşñarāja (which enabled him to conquer all the regions ), procured for him the king's esteem along with that of all his Māndalikas and Sämantas,' 108 The artistic execution as well as its composition (a Sanskrit Campu work of considerable literary merit) make the above record of unique interest, besides its historical value as the longest of the Ganga copper-plate inscriptions giving a full account of their dynasty. The Kannada works produced under the Gangas were principally, the Harivamsa and Neminātha Purāņa by Guņavarma I, under Mahendrāntaka or Ereyappa ( 886-913 A. D.); Cāmunda or Cāvunda Rāya's Trišașțilaksana Mahā-purāna, better known as Cāvundarāya-Purāņa, under Rácamalla IV (974-84); and Chhandômbudhi or "Ocean of Prosody” by Nāgavarma I (c. 984 A. D.). Of these, the second is of special interest and importance as the work of the great minister and general who erected the famous colossus at Belgola, and as the oldest extant specimen of a 108 Kudlůr Plates of Mārasimba Ganga, ibid. 1921, pp. 23-1.