Part 2 - Vastupala—A great Patron of Literature and Art

86 B) Vastupala - A great Patron Of Literature And Art And A Man Of Letters As can be seen from previous pages, Vastupala and Tejapala wielded great influence at the courts of Dhavalakka and Anahilavad, and they consolidated the state of Gujarat politically as well as economically. But they are more remembered for cultural activities inspired by their splendid munificence. They brought a cultural renaissance in Gujarat, such as would remind one of the days of great savant Hemacandra, and which vied with the cultural glories of Malva under kings Munja and Bhoja. 38 According to the Prabandhas, Vastupala had made thirteen pilgrimages to Mt. Satrunjaya and Girnar. In childhood he went to both the places with his father Asvaraja, who was a Sanghapari or a leader of pilgrims caravan. After becoming minister he led the Sanghas more than once, and undertook the pilgrimage to Satrunjaya and Girnar five times. He also went to Satrunjaya only with his family in the years A.D. 1227, 1228, 1229, 1230, 1231, 1232 and 1223 The last pilgrimage, which he desired to make, to Satrunjaya, but could not complete owing to his death on the way, was begun in 1240 A.D., and has been poetically described by Balacandra Suri in the Vasantavilasa Mahakavya.39 The pilgrimage which he did in 1221 A.D. was probably the most important one, as it is the only pilgrimage repeatedly mentioned in the Girnar inscriptions and presumably the same one is described with remarkable accuracy and poetic skill in contemporary works like the Kirtikaumudi, the Sukrtasankirthana, and the Dharmabhyudaya.

87 Even if we look to the accounts given in the contemporary literary works, which may be safely relied upon, the monuments and public works like temples, rest-houses, tanks, wells. etc. erected and sunk by the ministers were ous.40 Even if we consider only the contemporary evidence, very numerous . keeping aside the later Prabandhas, there is no doubt that their munificence and philanthropy extended to a large number of places in the whole of Gujarat, Saurastra and Marvad. Rajasekhara Suri asserts that their public works extended to sri Saila in the South, Prabhasa in the West, Kedara in the North and Benaras in the East.41 This does not seem improbable when we consider the fact that the scholars, poets and religious men from almost the whole of India were coming in those days to Anahilavada and Dhavalakka, and were getting some patronage from Vastupala and his brother. Public works of Vastupala were not limited only to the Jaina religion which he professed. We are told that he also built hospitals, Brahmasalas, Mathas, Siva-temples and even mosques. 42 There might be some exaggeration in the later accounts, because places on which Vastupala spent wealth in public works are about fifty in a contemporary source like the Sukrtasamkirthana. That number we find greatly increased in the works of Rajasekhara, Jinaharsa and Jinaprabha; and some of the details seem ridiculous, because they are evidently exaggerations. But even if we look to plain facts given by contemporary authors, there is no doubt that Vastupala was one of the greatest philanthropists that Gujarat and perhaps India had ever produced.

88 Vastupala and Tejapala spent a large amount of wealth after their public works, and one would like to know where this wealth came from. We already know that the two brothers came from an aristocratic family, which was supplying statesmen to the state of Gujarat ; and hence they must be enjoying considerable affluence. The Prabandhas contains stories as to how they came to possess fabulous wealth. Though these read like folk-tales, it is probable that they contain germs of truth. When Vastupala was appointed as the Governor of Stabhatirtha, a Muslim merchant named Sadik refused to accept his authority. When Vastupala tried to punish him, Sadik called Sankha, the prince of Lata to his aid. But Sankha was defeated by Vastupala and Sadik was captured with all his property. When this was reported to the king, he ordered that all the valuables of Sadik should go to the state, but assigned the dust of his house to Vastupala. Much of the dust was gold-dust and a fire turned more of Sadik's gold and silver to dust. Thus Sadik's bulk of wealth passed to Vastupala.43 Another account states that while going on a pilgrimage to Jaina holy places in Saurastra, the two brothers went to bury their wealth amounting to a total value of about One lakh, near a village called Hadalaka. There, while digging the earth, they got more wealth. Vastupala asked Anupama, wife of Tejapala as to what should be done with this treasure. Anupama replied that "it may be kept on the peaks of the mountains, so that it may not fall in the hands of some other person, as it has fallen to ours.' And

89 Vastupala and Tejapala spent it in building famous temples on Mt. Girnar and Mt. Abu, and leading Sanghas to the holy place of Mt.Satrunjaya. 44 47 The advice of Anupama has proved true, and no public works of Vastupala and Tejapala has been preserved to this day, except the temples on Mt. Abu and Mt.Girnar.45 The temple on Mt.Abu was built by Tejapala in 1231 A.D. and it has Neminatha the twenty-second Jaina Tirthankara, as the chief deity. Temples on Girnar were built by Vastupala in A.D. 1232. The Abu temple, situated in the temple-city Delvada, is generally known as Luna-Vasati in memory of Vastupala's elder brother Luniga. 46 It is one of the finest works of medieval Indian art, and of sufficient excellence to immortalise the name of its builder in the history of art. Further, B.J.Sandesara states "This temple is wholly of white marble, though no quarries of that material, except of inferior quality, are known to exist with in 20 or 30 miles of the spot ; The transporting and carrying it up the hill to the side of these temples must have added immensely to the expense of the undertaking. Externally the temple is perfectly plain, and one is totally unprepared for the splendour of the interior. "48 And also as Cousens remarks: "The amount of the beautiful ornamental detail, spread over these temples in the minutely carved decoration of ceilings, pillars, doorways, panels and niches is simply marvellous; the crisp, thin, translucent, shell-like treatment of the marble surfaces anything seen elsewere, and some of the designs are veritable dreams of beauty. The work is so delicate that ordinary chiseling would have been

90 disastrous. It is said that much of it was produced by scrapping the marbles away, and that masons were paid by the amount of marble-dust remained." "The pendant which hangs from the centre of the dome of the temple of Tejapala is particularly remarkable and rivets the attention of every visitor." Colonel Tod justly remarks, "the delineation of it defies pen, and would tax to the utmost the pencil of the most patient artist ; and he is secure in asserting that no ornament of the most florid style of Gothic architecture can be compared with it in richness. It appears like a cluster of the half-disclosed lotus, whose cups are so thin, so transparent, and so accurately wrought that it fixes the eye in admiration. The sculpture of the temples does not, however, confine to the representation of inanimate objects; it exercises itself also upon the scenes of domestic life, the labours of navigation and commerce, and the struggles of battle-field; and it may be safely asserted that the student of antiquities, who should devote sufficient attention to these bas-reliefs, would be amply repaid by a large increase of knowledge regarding many interesting points in the manners and customs of medieval India."49 According to Prabandhas Vastupala and Tejapala spent eighteen crores and ninety six lakhs on Girnar, and twelve crores and fifty three lakhs after the erection of the Lunavasati on Abu. 50 There might be exaggeration in these figures, but there is not the least doubt that vast amount of wealth, and immense labour must have been spent after the building of these monuments, which bespeak extraordinary liberality and religious devotion on

91 the part of their builders. The Chronicles say that not only was there no forced labout, as was the case in the erection of some similar buildings elsewhere in India and outside, but ample wages were being given, and utmost care taken for the amenities of the artisans who worked there.51