Jinavallabha & The Kurkiyala Inscription
The 10th‑Century Jaina Scholar Who Preserved the Legacy of Ādi Pampa
The history and legacy of Jinavallabha are preserved in a landmark 10th‑century inscription that serves as a vital record for the literary and religious history of the Deccan. A scholar, poet, and devout Jaina, Jinavallabha was the younger brother of the celebrated Kannada poet Ādi Pampa (author of Vikramārjunavijaya and Ādi Purāṇa). 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.
The primary, and only, epigraphical record for Jinavallabha is the Kurkiyala inscription, also known as the Bommala Gutta rock edict.
- 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.”
The inscription provides a detailed genealogy used by historians to verify the life of his illustrious elder brother, the poet Ādi Pampa. Jinavallabha was not merely a donor but an active scholar in his own right.
- 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 Vikramārjunavijaya and Ādi Purāṇa. 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.
The primary object of the Kurkiyala record is to enumerate Jinavallabha’s religious contributions at the site, which he transformed into a Jaina centre. He turned the hill of Vrishabhadri (Bommala Gutta) into a sacred Jaina tirtha.
- Images on the Rock (Siddha‑sila): He commissioned the carving of images of the first and last Jaina Tirthankaras (Adinātha and Vardhamāna), the goddess Chakreśvarī, 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 Kavitāguṇārṇava (“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 Adinātha, Vardhamāna and Chakreśvarī on Siddha‑sila.
➡️ Built Tribhuvanatilaka basadi (monastery).
➡️ Dug the Kavitāguṇārṇava tank.
➡️ Laid out Madana‑vilasa garden.
➡️ Turned Vrishabhadri into a famous Jaina pilgrimage centre.
The inscription serves as an independent historical witness to the patronage of the Chalukyas of Vemulawada and the grant made to his brother Pampa.
- Dharmavura Grant: 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 Vikramārjunavijaya.
- The “Incredulous” Clause: 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.
- Royal Connection: The inscription also mentions King Arikesari II (also known as Hariga and Ariga) and confirms that Pampa accepted the grant.
“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.”
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. The inscription is of immense interest to both Karnataka and Andhra history, as it supplies fresh information about the native place of Pampa, his parentage, the habitat of his ancestors, and the condition of Telugu in the north‑western marches of the Telugu country at the time.
- 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 Ādi 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 Chakreśvarī 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. The site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Telangana State Department of Archaeology. It is an important pilgrimage spot for Jains from Telangana and Karnataka.
In 2023, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India carried out a fresh documentation of the inscription using digital imaging, and the Telangana government has proposed developing Bommala Gutta as a tourist and heritage site.
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).
📚 References & Further Reading
- 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.
- Ādi Pampa, Vikramārjunavijaya (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.
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