Early History of the Dekkan down to the Mahomedan Conquest c17.68

c17.68

[59] During the period occupied by the reigns of these early Châlukya princes, the Jaina religion comes into prominence Ravikîrti, the Jaina who composed the Aihole inscription and represents himself as a poet, was patronized by Pulakesi II Vijayâditya gave a village for the maintenance of a Jaina temple to Udayadevapandita or Niravadyapaṇḍita, the house pupil of Śrîpûjyapâda, who belonged to the Devagana sect of the Mûlasamgha, *i e* of the Digambara Jainas Niravadyapaṇḍita is spoken of as a spiritual adviser of Vijayâditya's⁵² father, *i e* Vinayâditya Vikramâditya II repaired a Jaina temple and gave a grant in connection with it to a learned Jaina of the name of Vijayapaṇḍita, who is represented to have silenced his opponents in argument and is styled the only disputant ⁵³ But Jainism in those days, as at present, probably flourished in the Southern Marâṭhâ Country only If the Pûjyapâda who was the preceptor of Niravadvapaṇḍita was the famous grammarian of that name, he must have flourished some time before 618 Śaka, the date of Vinayâditya's death, *i e* about 600 Śaka or 678 A D All that is known about Pûjyapâda and his relations to other Digambara writers is not inconsistent with this date But another date two hundred years earlier has also been assigned to Pûjyapâda