Chavundaraya Basadi on Chandragiri hill at Shravanabelagola

Chavundraya or Chamundaraya (

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

''Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya'', 940–989) was an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

military commander, architect, poet and minister. He served in the court of the

Western Ganga dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...

Talakad Talakadu (ತಲಕಾಡು) is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, T ...

(in modern

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, India). A person of many talents, in 982 he commissioned the construction of the

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive rock (geology), stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological for ...

ic statue of

Bahubali Bahubali (), a much revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (''kayotsarg ...

, the

Gomateshwara Bahubali (), a much revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (''kayotsarg ...

, at

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage des ...

, an important place of pilgrimage for

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

. He was a devotee of the Jain Acharya

Nemichandra Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarty ( fl. 10th century) was the author of ''Dravyasamgraha'', ''Gommatsāra'' (''Jivakanda'' and ''Karmakanda''), ''Trilokasara'', ''Labdhisara'' and ''Kshapanasara''. He was among the most distinguished of the Jai ...

and Ajitasena

Bhattaraka A Bhaṭṭāraka ( pka, भट्टारक "holy one") heads traditional Digambara Jain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running ...

and was an influential person during the reigns of

Marasimha II Satyavakya Marasimha II Satyavakya was the 23rd king of the Western Ganga Dynasty. He was the successor of Marulaganga Neetimarga who reigned 961–963. He was succeeded by Rachamalla IV Satyavakya (975–986), his son. Reign He was a loyal feudatory of ...

, (963–975). Rachamalla IV Satyavakya, (975–986) and Rachamalla V (Rakkasaganga), (986–999). A courageous commander with the title ''Samara Paraśurāma'' (''lit'', "Battle-

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

wielding an ax"), he found time to pursue his literary interests as well and became a renowned writer in

and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

.Kamath (2001), p45Sastri (1955), pp356-357 He wrote an important and existing prose piece called the ''Chavundaraya Purana'', also known as ''Trishasthi Lakshana Purana'', in Kannada (978) and the ''Cāritrasāra'' in Sanskrit. He patronised the famous Kannada grammarians Gunavarma and

Nagavarma I Nāgavarma I (c. 990) was a noted Jain writer and poet in the Kannada language in the late 10th century. His two important works, both of which are extant, are ''Karnātaka Kādambari'', a ''champu'' (mixed prose-verse metre) based romance n ...

and the poet

Ranna Ranna may refer to: *Ranna, a subdivision of the town Auerbach in der Oberpfalz in Bavaria, Germany * Ranna, Estonia, a village in the former municipality Pala Parish, Estonia * Ranna (Danube), a river of Bavaria, Germany and of Upper Austria, trib ...

whose writing ''Parusharama Charite'' may have been a eulogy of his patron. Because of his many lasting contributions, Chavundaraya is an important figure in the history of medieval Karnataka.

Origin

In his writing, he claims he was from the ''Brahmakshatriya'' ''Vamsa'' (

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

converted to the

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

caste).Kulkarni (1975) in Adiga (2006), p195 The 10th century Algodu inscription of the

Mysore district Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar district, Chamarajanagar District wa ...

and the Arani inscription from the

Mandya district Mandya District is an administrative district of Karnataka, India. The district is bordered on the south by Mysore district, Mysore and Chamarajanagar district, Chamarajangar districts, on the west by Hassan District, on the north by Tumkur Di ...

provide more information on the family genealogy of Chavundaraya. It states that Chavundaraya was the grandson of Govindamayya who is praised for his knowledge and

Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

and was the son of Mabalayya, a subordinate of King Marasimha II. Mabalayya and his brother Isarayya are praised for their prowess in the inscription.Gopal et al. (1976) in Adiga (2006), p196 It is believed that their political position under King Marasimha II may have led to a gradual adoption of

status by this Brahmin family.Adiga (2006), p196 An inscriptional eulogy of Chavundaraya on the ''

Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar The Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar (or ''Chhagada Brahmadeva Pillar'') is a decorated free standing pillar (''lit'', ''Stambha''), 2.3 m tall, commissioned by Chamundaraya, an important minister and commander in the Western Ganga kingdom, duri ...

'' at Shravanabelagola (which has beautiful engravings and relief representing Chavundaraya and his guru Nemichandra at the base) praises him thus,

Commander

As a commander for the Western Ganga

feudatory A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...

of the

Rashtrakutas Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...

, he fought many battles for their Rashtrakutas overlords, beginning in the days of the Rashtrakuta king,

Khottiga Amoghavarsha Khottiga or Amoghavarsha IV (ruled 967–972 CE), who bore the title ''Nityavarsha'', was a ruler of the Rashtrakuta Empire. During this period the Rashtrakutas started to decline. The Paramara King Siyaka II plundered Manyakheta and Khottiga d ...

. In fact, the Gangas supported the cause of the Rashtrakutas till the very end.Kamath (2001), p84 During the last years of Rashtrakuta rule, the Gangas were also under constant threat of civil war and from invasions of the increasingly powerful

Chola Dynasty The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

. When a civil war broke out in 975, Chavundaraya supported the cause of Prince Rachamalla IV and installed him on the throne.Kamath (2001), p46 Chavundaraya suppressed a rebellion made by Panchaldeva Mahasamanta in 975 AD and slew Mudurachayya (who held the titles ''Chaladanka Ganga'' and ''Gangarabanta'') in the battle of Bageyur. He thus avenged the death of his brother Nagavarma by Mudurachayya. After these battles where Chavundaraya showed his gallantry, Rachamalla IV ascended the Ganga throne. For his exploits, Chavundraya earned the titles ''Samara Parsurama'', ''Vira Martanda'', ''Ranarangasimha'', ''Samara Dhurandhara'', ''Vairikula Kaladanda'', ''Bhuja Vikrama'' and ''Bhatamara''.Rao, Krishna M. V., ''The Gangas of Talakad: A Monograph on the History of Mysore from the Fourth to the Close of the Eleventh Century'', (1936), pp109 – 113, Publishers:B.G. Paul and Company

Writings

Chavundaraya's writing, ''Chavundaraya Purana'', is the second oldest existing work in prose style in Kannada and is a summary of the Sanskrit works, ''Adipurana'' and ''Uttarapurana'', written by

Jinasena Jinasena (c. 9th century CE) was a monk and scholar in the ''Digambara'' tradition of Jainism. He was patronized by the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. He was the author of ''Adipurana'' and '' Mahapurana''.Gunabhadra during the rule of Rashtrakuta

Amoghavarsha I Amoghavarsha I (also known as Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I) (r.814–878 CE) was the greatest emperor of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, and one of the most notable rulers of Ancient India. His reign of 64 years is one of the longest precisely dated mo ...

. The prose work, composed in lucid Kannada, was meant mainly for the common man and avoided any reference to complicated elements of Jain doctrines and philosophy. In his writing, the influences of his predecessor Adikavi Pampa and contemporary Ranna are seen. ''Trishashtilakshana purana'' narrates the legends of twenty-four Jain

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

s, twelve ''Chakravartis'', nine ''Balabhadras'', nine ''Narayanas'' and nine ''Pratinarayanas'' – narrations on sixty-three Jain proponents in all.Sastri (1955), p357Kulkarni (1975) in Adiga (2006), p256

Builder

The monolith Gomateshwara statue dedicated to the Jain god,

, was commissioned by Chavundaraya and built on the Indragiri hill (also known as

Vindhyagiri Hill Vindyagiri is one of the two hills in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. The other one being Chandragiri. History Vindhyagiri is first referred to as "Per kavappu" (Large - Kalbappu) in 8th Century, but its history begins with t ...

) is a unique example of Western Ganga sculpture. Carved from fine-grained white granite, the image stands on a lotus. It has no support up to the thighs and is 60 feet tall with the face measuring 6.5 feet. With the serene expression on the face of the image, its curled hair with graceful locks, its proportional anatomy, the monolith size, and the combination of its artistry and craftsmanship have led it to be called the mightiest achievement in sculptural art in medieval Karnataka.M Seshadri in Kamath (2001), p51 It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. The

Chavundaraya basadi Chavundaraya basadi or Chamundaraya basadi or Boppa-Chaityalya is one of the fifteen basadis (Jain temples) located on the Chandragiri Hill in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Archaeological Survey of India has listed the Chav ...

also in Shravanabelagola and built on the

Chandragiri Hill Chandragiri ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗಿರಿ) is one of the two hills in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka, the other one being Vindhyagiri. It is also near Indragiri. History The recorded history surrounding the hill start ...

is credited to him by some scholars while others argue it was built by his son Jinadevana.The characters on an inscription at the base of the image of Jain Tirthankara Parashwanatha in the basadi states a Jain temple was built by Jinadevana, Gopal et al. (1973) in Adiga (2006), p256 However, by the 12th century additions to the shrine were made by a later King Gangaraja by which time tradition held that the shrine was built by Chavundaraya. However another view holds that the original shrine itself was consecrated in the 11th century and built in memory of Chavundaraya.S. Settar in Adiga (2006), p256

Notes

References

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External links

Chamundaraya and Shrvanabelagola
by K. L. Kamat {{Authority control 10th-century Indian Jain writers Military personnel from Karnataka History of Karnataka Kannada-language writers 940 births 989 deaths People of the Western Ganga dynasty People from Hassan district 10th-century Indian poets 10th-century Indian politicians Karnataka politicians Poets from Karnataka Scientists from Karnataka