The Rashtrakutas and their Times c20.s2.36

c20.s2.36

It must be remembered that Jainism preaches the doctrine of Ahimsā in a more extreme form than Buddhism, and yet the history of the Deccan of our period shows that it had no emasculating effect upon its followers. Krishṇavarmā, an early Kadamba king, though a Jain, had the title of ‘the lover of war’ (raṇapriya). (192) The Jainism of Amoghavarsha I did not prevent him from offering a dreadful feast to the god of death on the battle-field of Vingavalli. (193) Bankeya, the Banavasi viceroy of the same emperor, was a devout Jain and yet a most active, successful and skilful general. (194) Indra III was at least a patron, and very probably a follower of Jainism; and so were his generals S’rivijaya and Nārasimha, and yet these had fought several battles and overrun the whole of Central India and the Madhyadeśa, in order to accomplish their ambitious plans of conquest. Nārasimha II, who was such a staunch Jain as to die by the sallekhana vow, was yet the hero of a hundred battles. Most of his predecessors on the Gānga throne were Jains and were yet taking part in the incessant warfare that was going around them freely and enthusiastically.