History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s3.23

v3.c34.s3.23

It remains to consider how far we may believe that Kumārapāla actually became a Jain towards the close of his career. When the temple of Somnath was being built, he is said to have made a vow, at Hemachandra’s suggestion, to abstain from flesh, wine, and woman. And for two years he observed the vow and when the temple was finished he went there and worshipped the god and even Hemachandra bowed to the idol. That vow is not a Jain vow only, being prescribed even by Manu.* But perhaps the king was equally divided between his devotion to his tutelary deity and his devotion to his preceptor Hemachandra. The Hindus are in this respect most tolerant and even now devout Hindus are known to be followers of Mahomedan fakirs. It is, therefore, not at all strange that Kumārapāla worshipped Jain ascetics or built Jain vihāras. Even Hemachandra like his tolerant disciple bowed to the Somnath idol, declaring that it may represent even Jina. It does not seem probable, however, that Kumārapāla at last gave up his tutelary deity and turned a Jain since in inscriptions of his time and those of his successors, he is always described as ‘prospering through the favour of Śiva’ (Umāpati) and is nowhere described as a Jain, as Harsha is desoribed in his inscriptions as a worshipper of Sugata (Parama Saugata) while his father is described as worshipper of Śiva (Parama Māheśvara).