How to Cite
License (Chapter)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Identifiers (Book)
Published
Devabodha and the Jain Scholars
Friendships and Rivalries at the Chalukya Court
It is a well-known fact that several members of the Jain Śvetāmbara community wielded great influence at the Caulukya court during the reigns of kings Jayasiṃha Siddharāja (r. 1094–1142) and Kumārapāla (r. 1142–1172): not only did the great polymath Hemacandra benefit from their patronage and produce many major works on a wide range of subjects, but other Jains were also held in high esteem, like the debater Devasūri or the poet laureate Śrīpāla. What is more unexpected is that, according to Prabhācandra’s Prabhāvakacarita (1278), Devasūri and Hemacandra apparently befriended a Hindu renouncer named Devabodha, the former inviting him to a temple consecration, the latter helping him to pay off his debts. This chapter attempts to understand how and why these friendships might have developed by contrasting them with other friendly or unfriendly relationships known to have existed at the same period.
Keywords Hinduism, Jainism, medieval India, Prabandhas, friendship
