The 10th-Century Jaina Scholar Who Preserved the Legacy of Adi Pampa · c. 945 CE · Bommala Gutta, Karimnagar · Trilingual: Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu · Patron of Tribhuvanatilaka Basadi
The inscription he commissioned at Kurkiyala (Bommala Gutta) in present-day Telangana is a trilingual masterpiece – written in Sanskrit, Kannada, and Telugu – and contains some of the earliest known Telugu kanda verses. This article reconstructs Jinavallabha's life, family, religious foundations, and his role as a guardian of his brother's legacy, based entirely on the epigraphical evidence from the Kurkiyala rock.
- Date: Circa 945 CE (mid-10th century).
- Location: Engraved on a huge rock on the summit of Bommala Gutta (ancient Vrishabhadri), a hillock near Kurkiyala in Gangadharam Taluk, Karimnagar district, Telangana.
- Languages: It is a trilingual record featuring Sanskrit, Kannada, and Telugu. This multilingual character reflects the cosmopolitan environment of the Vemulawada Chalukya kingdom.
- Historical Significance: The inscription is famous for containing some of the earliest known Telugu kanda verses, proving that the family was active in a region where both Kannada and Telugu literary cultures converged. It also provides the most detailed genealogy of the poet Pampa.
"Om namah Siddhebhyah. Jinavallabha, the younger brother of the great poet Pampa, the ornament of the Kondakunda-anvaya, caused this edict to be carved on the Siddha-sila of Vrishabhadri."
- Lineage: Jinavallabha was a Kamme-Brahmana of the Jamadagni Pancharsheya Srivatsa-gotra. His ancestors originally hailed from the village of Vangiparru (also Vangipura) in the Bengi-nadu (Vengi) region of coastal Andhra.
- Migration: The family later migrated to Sabbi-nadu (in present-day Karimnagar district) in the north-western marches of Telingana, where they came under the patronage of the Chalukyas of Vemulawada.
- Parents: He was the son of Bhimapayya (or Bhima) and Vabbanabbe. His mother Vabbanabbe was the daughter of the astrologer Joyisa Singha of Annigere in Belvola (present-day Dharwad district, Karnataka).
- Religious Transition: The record confirms that his father, Bhimapayya, abandoned the family's traditional Brahmanism to embrace Jainism, a faith both Pampa and Jinavallabha followed. The change of religion likely prompted their migration from coastal Andhra to Sabbi-nadu, where Jainism was more popular and enjoyed royal patronage.
- Brotherhood: He was the younger brother of Pampa (also known as Pampana or Pamparya), the celebrated author of the Vikramarjunavijaya and Adi Purana. Jinavallabha is described as being a scholar himself, proficient in all arts (Sakala-kala-pravina), a master of poetry, music, and the art of composing kavyas in various styles.
Madhava Somayaji (progenitor) → Abhimanachandra → Kumarayya → Abhimanadevaraya → Bhima (Bhimapayya) = Vabbanabbe → Pampa and Jinavallabha.
Jinavallabha turned the hill of Vrishabhadri (Bommala Gutta) into a sacred Jaina tirtha through multiple acts of piety:
- Images on the Rock (Siddha-sila): He commissioned the carving of images of the first and last Jaina Tirthankaras (Adinatha and Vardhamana), the goddess Chakresvari, and other Jaina divinities on the rock wall of the hill, which he referred to as the Siddha-sila ("rock of the Siddhas"). These carvings can still be seen on the hilltop.
- Tribhuvanatilaka Basadi: He constructed a Jaina monastery (basadi) named Tribhuvanatilaka ("Ornament of the Three Worlds") near the hill to house Jaina monks and to serve as a centre of learning.
- Kavitagunarnava Tank: He excavated a large tank (water reservoir) named Kavitagunarnava ("Ocean of Poetic Qualities") in honour of his elder brother Pampa, who bore that title. The tank at the foot of the hill is likely the same body of water still visible today.
- Madana-vilasa Garden: He established a garden named Madana-vilasa ("Delight of Love") to provide flowers and shade for the temple and the ascetics.
Jinavallabha was also devoted to the worship of Jina, regularly offered food to Jaina ascetics, and celebrated the festival of bathing the Jina in milk at Vrishabhadri, giving gifts to pilgrims.
Carved idols of Adinatha, Vardhamana, and Chakresvari on Siddha-sila.
Built Tribhuvanatilaka basadi (monastery).
Dug the Kavitagunarnava tank.
Laid out Madana-vilasa garden.
Turned Vrishabhadri into a famous Jaina pilgrimage centre.
The record states that king Arikesari II (r. 930–958 CE), the Chalukya ruler of Vemulawada, granted the village of Dharmavura (also called Dharmavaram or Dharmapuram) as an agrahara (tax-free Brahmana settlement) to Pampa in recognition of his literary mastery in composing the Vikramarjunavijaya.
In a unique passage, Jinavallabha challenges "the incredulous" who might doubt whether the grant actually occurred, directing them to the hill at Kurkiyala to see the letters of the grant carved for all to see. This suggests that the rock inscription itself was intended to serve as a publicly visible charter.
"Should any foolish person ask repeatedly: 'Has a copper-plate been written? Did Arikesari truly grant Dharmavura? Did Pampa accept it?' — let him come to Vrishabhadri and see the letters carved on this rock, which proclaim the fame of Pampa and the greatness of Jina-dharma. Let him satisfy himself."
Royal Connection: The inscription also mentions King Arikesari II (also known as Hariga and Ariga) and confirms that Pampa accepted the grant.
Through this single comprehensive record at Bommala Gutta, Jinavallabha ensured that his family's migration from Bengi-nadu to Sabbi-nadu (modern Karimnagar) and their transition to Jaina scholarship were indelibly etched into the history of the region.
- Earliest Telugu Kanda Verses: The three Telugu kanda verses in the inscription are among the oldest surviving specimens of Telugu poetry, predating Nannaya's Mahabharatam by over a century. They proved that Telugu poetic culture was already mature in the 10th century.
- Trilingual Nature: The use of Sanskrit, Kannada, and Telugu in a single record reflects the linguistic integration of the Deccan under the Vemulawada Chalukyas, who patronised all three languages.
- Jaina Revival: Jinavallabha's foundations at Vrishabhadri helped establish Sabbi-nadu as a major Jaina centre, attracting pilgrims and monks from across the Deccan. The site remained active for several centuries, as evidenced by later Jaina sculptures found in the vicinity.
- Genealogical Anchor: The inscription resolved longstanding scholarly debates about Pampa's parentage and the identity of his father (Bhimapayya, not Abhimanadevaraya as some manuscripts claimed). It remains the most reliable source for the life of Adi Pampa.
The Bommala Gutta (Vrishabhadri) hill near Kurkiyala is still accessible. The rock inscriptions, though weathered, remain mostly legible. The images of the Tirthankaras and Chakresvari carved on the Siddha-sila can still be seen, although the basadi (Tribhuvanatilaka) has not survived. The tank, known locally as "Kavitagunarnava cheruvu" (or a variant), is still used for irrigation.
Location: Near Kurkiyala village, Gangadharam mandal, Karimnagar district, Telangana. Approximately 13 km west of Karimnagar town. The rock is on the hilltop; a short trek is required. Best visited in the winter months (November–February).
Chronology of Jinavallabha and the Kurkiyala Inscription
Key Figures
- Jinavallabha: Jaina scholar, poet, and younger brother of Adi Pampa. Commissioned the Kurkiyala inscription. Built the Tribhuvanatilaka basadi and created a Jaina pilgrimage centre at Vrishabhadri.
- Adi Pampa: Celebrated Kannada poet, author of Vikramarjunavijaya and Adi Purana. Elder brother of Jinavallabha. Received the Dharmavura grant from Arikesari II.
- Arikesari II (Hariga or Ariga): Chalukya ruler of Vemulawada (r. 930–958 CE). Granted Dharmavura to Pampa and patronised both brothers.
- Bhimapayya (Bhima): Father of Jinavallabha and Pampa. Abandoned Brahmanism to embrace Jainism.
- Vabbanabbe: Mother of Jinavallabha and Pampa. Daughter of the astrologer Joyisa Singha of Annigere.
- Joyisa Singha: Grandfather of Jinavallabha; an astrologer from Annigere in Belvola (Dharwad district, Karnataka).
Places Associated with Jinavallabha
Bommala Gutta (Vrishabhadri), Kurkiyala: The site of the trilingual inscription and Jaina pilgrimage centre established by Jinavallabha.
Vangiparru (Vangipura), Bengi-nadu: The original homeland of Jinavallabha's ancestors in coastal Andhra.
Sabbi-nadu (Karimnagar district): The region to which Jinavallabha's family migrated.
Vemulawada: The seat of the Chalukya kings who patronised Jinavallabha and Pampa.
Dharmavura (Dharmavaram or Dharmapuram): The village granted to Pampa by Arikesari II.
Annigere, Belvola (Dharwad district, Karnataka): The hometown of Jinavallabha's maternal grandfather.
Legacy of Jinavallabha
Jinavallabha's legacy is preserved through the inscription he commissioned at Bommala Gutta. Through this single comprehensive record, he ensured that his family's migration from Bengi-nadu to Sabbi-nadu and their transition to Jaina scholarship were indelibly etched into the history of the region.
- Literary Legacy: The inscription contains some of the earliest known Telugu kanda verses, proving that Telugu poetic culture was already mature in the 10th century.
- Religious Legacy: His foundations at Vrishabhadri helped establish Sabbi-nadu as a major Jaina centre for centuries.
- Genealogical Legacy: The inscription resolved longstanding scholarly debates about Pampa's parentage and remains the most reliable source for the life of Adi Pampa.
- Architectural Legacy: The carvings on the Siddha-sila, though weathered, remain visible today.
- Dr. N. Venkataramanayya, "The Kurkiyala Inscription of Jinavallabha," Epigraphia Andhrica, Volume II (1974), pp. 21-28.
- D. C. Sircar, "Some Epigraphical Records of the Vemulawada Chalukyas," Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXVIII.
- P. B. Desai, Jainism in South India, Sholapur, 1957.
- Adi Pampa, Vikramarjunavijaya (critical editions) – for comparison of genealogies.
- Archaeological Survey of India (Hyderabad Circle), Annual Reports on Epigraphy (various years).
- Telangana State Department of Archaeology, Heritage Monuments: Bommala Gutta, 2020.
- Wikipedia: Kurkiyala inscription, Jinavallabha, Bommala Gutta.
In memory of the scholar who turned a hill into a sacred centre and preserved his brother's legacy for a millennium.