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[[File:Doddahundi Nishidhi (memorial stone) with old Kannada inscription (869 C.E.).JPG|thumb|The Doddahundi ''nishidahi'' [[stele]] depicting the death of King Neetimarga I, with old Kannada inscription dated 840 or 869 C.E.]]<br />
{{Jainism}}<br />
The '''Doddahundi nishidhi and inscription''' is a [[hero stone]] from Doddahundi, 18&nbsp;km from [[Tirumakudalu Narasipura]] in the [[Mysore district]], [[Karnataka state]], [[India]]. It has an undated old [[Kannada language]] inscription which historians [[John Faithfull Fleet|J. F. Fleet]], [[I. K. Sarma]] and E.P. Rice have dated by context to 840 or 869 C.E.<ref name="rice">Rice, E.P. (1921), p.13</ref><ref name="rana"/> The hero stone has a unique depiction in [[frieze]] of the ritual death (''[[sallekhana]]'' and ''samadhi'') of the [[Western Ganga Dynasty]] king Ereganga Nitimarga I (r. 853-869). The memorial was raised by the king's son Satyavakya. Such ''nishidhi's'' (memorial spot) were raised in medieval India in honor of important [[Jain]] personalities who ended their life voluntarily after following severe ritual vow.<ref name="relief">Sarma (1992), p.17</ref><ref name="vakya">Sarma (1992), p.204</ref> The Western Ganga period produced not only imposing and well sculptured pillars (''stambha'') but also noteworthy hero stones (''virgal'') with exceptional relief.<ref name="note">Kamath (1980), p.52</ref> According to historian and epigraphist [[John Faithfull Fleet|J. F. Fleet]] who edited the inscription, the names in the record are titles and not personal names. He dated the inscription to 840 C.E. with the opinion that the Nitimarga in the inscription is actually Ranavikrama, son of King [[Sripurusha]] (r. 726-788).<ref name="rana">Fleet (1905), p. 53</ref><br />
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==Background==<br />
[[File:Nishidhi stone with 14th century Old Kannada inscription from Tavanandi forest.JPG|thumb|left|An example of a Nishidhi inscription from the 14th century with Kannada language inscription]]<br />
In [[Jainism]], the term ''nishidhi'' (with variants called ''nisidhia'', ''nisadhi'' or ''nistige'') is the spot where the person, such as an ascetic, king or queen died voluntarily, or was cremated or bone relic buried. Such places were held in high regard, a pedestal (''vedika'') created and prayers (''puja'' and ''pratishtha'') offered regularly.<ref name="pillar">Sarma (1992), p.202</ref> Often, the ''nishidhigal'' (''lit'', ''nishidhi'' stone) was nothing more than a natural rock surface or a boulder. Inscribed on the ''nishidhigal'' were [[epitaph]]s that immortalized and described the scholarly and saintly achievements of the deceased one, man or woman. ''Nishidhi's'' dated to as early as the 7th century exist in the [[Shravanabelagola]] hills. One memorial raised by King Sripurusha for Mahaprabhu Gopayya dates from the 8th century. The Doddahundi ''nishidhi'' is one of the most noteworthy examples found from the Western Ganga period.<ref name="pillar"/><br />
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==Depiction==<br />
According to the historian Sarma, the Doddahundi ''nishidhi'' stone has its frieze set inside a square panel whose borders are etched to create the impression of flames that further accentuate the grave event. The dying king, who exudes a calm countanence, is lying on a couch with his head on a double pillow and is attended to by his personal guard Agarayya. An agitated Prince Satyavakya stands behind the king with a dagger and sword. The inscription below the frieze reads "bee at the pair of lotus feet of Arhat Bhattaraka" (referring to Jinasena, the kings guru and author of the Jain text ''Adipurana'').<ref name="bee">Sarma (1992), p. 204</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Religion}}<br />
* [[Jainism in Karnataka]]<br />
* [[Jainism in north Karnataka]]<br />
* [[Jainism in Tulu Nadu]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist|1}}<br />
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==References==<br />
* {{cite book |last= Sarma|first= I.K.|title= Temples of the Gangas of Karnataka|orig-year=1992|year=1992|publisher= Archaeological Survey of India|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-19-560686-8}}<br />
*{{cite book |last= Rice|first= E.P.|title= A History of Kanarese Literature|orig-year=1921|year=1982|publisher= Asian Educational Services|location= New Delhi|isbn= 81-206-0063-0}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Fleet|first=John Faithfull|editor-last=Hultzsch|editor-first=E|title=[[Epigraphia Indica]], Archæological Survey of India, Volume VIII|year=1905–1906|publisher=Government of India|location=Calcutta|chapter=Epigraphia Indica}}<br />
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{{Jainism topics}}<br />
{{coord missing|Karnataka}}<br />
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[[Category:Kannada literature]]<br />
[[Category:Literature of Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:Earliest known manuscripts by language]]<br />
[[Category:Western Ganga dynasty]]<br />
[[Category:Kannada inscriptions]]<br />
[[Category:9th-century inscriptions]]<br />
[[Category:Jain temples in Karnataka]]</div>Medfly