History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.Campbell, James M.
History
History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.
Campbell, James M.
Gujarat (India) -- History
Regarding Sajjana Siddharája's first viceroy in Suráshtra, the
Prabandhachintámani says that finding him worthy the king appointed
Sajjana the dandádhipati of Suráshtradesa. Without consulting his
master Sajjana spent three years' revenue in building a stone temple of
Neminátha on Girnár instead of a wooden temple which he removed. In
the fourth year the king sent four officers to bring Sajjana to
Anahilaváda. The king called on Sajjana to pay the revenues of the
past three years. In reply Sajjana asked whether the king would
prefer the revenue in cash or the merit which had accrued from
spending the revenue in building the temple. Preferring the merit
the king sanctioned the spending of the revenues on the Tírtha and
Sajjana was reappointed governor of Sorath. [581] This stone temple of
Sajjana would seem to be the present temple of Neminátha, though many
alterations have been made in consequence of Muhammadan sacrilege and
a modern enclosure has been added. The inscription of Sajjana which
is dated A.D. 1120 (S. 1176) is on the inside to the right in passing
to the small south gate. It contains little but the mention of the
Sádhu who was Sajjana's constant adviser. On his return from a second
pilgrimage to Somanátha Siddharája who was encamped near Raivataka that
is Girnár expressed a wish to see Sajjana's temple. But the Bráhmans
envious of the Jains persuaded the king that as Girnár was shaped like
a ling it would be sacrilege to climb it. Siddharája respected this
objection and worshipped at the foot of the mountain. From Girnár
he went to Satruñjaya. Here too Bráhmans with drawn swords tried to
prevent the king ascending the hill. Siddharája went in disguise at
night, worshipped the Jain god Ádísvara with Ganges water, and granted
the god twelve neighbouring villages. On the hill he saw so luxuriant
a growth of the sállaki a plant dear to elephants, that he proposed
to make the hill a breeding place for elephants a second Vindhya. He
was reminded what damage wild elephants would cause to the holy place
and for this reason abandoned his plan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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