Epigraphia Indica Vol 05

SR No.: 032559
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 458
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. V.
shrine, and, as, is gathered from subsequent passages, built for his own god, under the name of Vira-Sômanatha, at Ablûr, a temple "as large," the record says, "as a mountain." The Jains then went and complained to Bijjala, who became much enraged, and sent for Ekântada-Ramayya, and questioned him as to why he had committed so gross an outrage on the Jains. Thereupon Ekântada-Ramayya produced the writing on the palmyra-leaf, and asked Bijjala to deposit it in his treasary, and offered that, if the Jains would wager their eight hundred temples, including the Anesejjeyabasadi, he would repeat the feat, whatever it may have really been, that he had already accomplished. Wishing to see the spectacle, Bijjala called all the learned men of the Jain temples together, and bade them wager their shrines, repeating the conditions on a palmyra-leaf. The Jains, however, would not face the test again; saying that they had come to complain of the injary that had already been done to them, and not to wager and lose any more of their gods. So Bijjala, laughing at them, dismissed them with the advice that. thenceforth they should live peaceably with their neighbours, and gave Ekäntada-Ramayya, in public assembly, a jayapattra or certificate of success. Also, pleased with the unsurpassed daring with which Ekantada-Råmayya had displayed his devotion to Siva, he laved Ramayya's feet, and granted to the temple of Vira-Somanátha a village named Gôgåve, to the south of Malugunda in the Sattalige seventy in the Bana vâsi twelve-thonsand. Subsequently, the record says, when the Western Chålukya king Sômêsvars IV. and his commander-in-chief Brahma were at Seloyahalliyakoppa, a public Assembly was held, in which recital was made of the merits of ancient and recent Saiva saints. The story of Ekäntada-Råmayya being told, Somescara IV. wrote a letter summoning him into his own presence at his pulace, and laved his feet, and granted to the same temple the village of Ablar itself in the Nâgarakhanda seventy in the Banavasi twelve-thousand. And finally, the Mahamandalesvara Kamadeva went and now the temple, heard all the story, summoned Ekantada-Råmayya to Hingal, and there luved his feet and granted to the temple a village named Mallavalli, on the north of Jógésara near Mundagód in the Hosanad seventy in the Panamgal five-hundred.
In this account, there is nothing inconsistent with the possibility of others being concerned in the matter and helping the movement on,- for instance, the Basava or Basavarasayys of the Kaśyapa gôtra, of the Managôļi inscription of A.D. 1161, who was a contemporary of Ekåutada-Ramayya, and in whom we may find the original of the Basava of the Lingayat Purinas. And very possibly the Lingayat or Vira-Saiva sect was actaally established, in somewhat later times, by a person named Channabasava. In fact, as regards the first point, though the worship of Siva languished in some parts of the country, it had by no means died out; and on some other occasion we may go into the history of the Kalamukha sect, of the various other Saiva establishments at Balagåmi, of the five-hundred Svamins of Aihole, of the adherents of the Vira-Banañja doctrine, and of other religious bodies, scattered about all over the Kanarese country, from whom the movement must have received encouragement and support,
1 This was a celebrated Join temple at Lakshnôh war. It is mentioned in ulso the Gudigere Jain inscription of A.D. 1076, which sage (Ind. Ant. Vol. XVIII. p. 39, line 20 f.) that it was founded in former times," at Parigere, by Kunksmaish&devi, the younger sister of "the Chilukyachakravartin Vijayadityavailabhs," which name seems to be used to denote the Western Chalukya king Vijayaditya (A.D. 696 to 783-84).
The record asserts that, on this occasion, he undertook that, after cutting off his own head, he would even allow his opponents to burn it, and still would recover it.
This is the modern Gogaw' of tbe Iudian Atlas, sheet No. 42, seventeen miles S. S. E. s. from Ablar, in the Slikárpur taluka, Shimoga district, Mysore. Malugunda apparently does not now exist.
This place cannot now be found in maps, etc., unless it may be identified with Sheloll,' near Gargðți, in the Ebadhargad subdivision of the Kolhapur State. Tie word koppe, with which the name ends and which occurs frequently in village names in the Kanarese country, means ' small village
s Mund god still exists, under the same name, in the Yellápur taluks of the North Kanara district, about cistee miles to the north by east from Hingal. And Mallavalli in Malwalli, three miles to the south-west from Mundgod. Hornád and Jogeaara (which was perhaps stomple) cannot be traced.