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| Jaina Goddess Ambika |
Rajavali
Katha of Devachandra is a work completed in 1841 A.D. and its value lies in the
traditions about Jainism, its history in Karnataka, the literature in Samskrit
and Kannada, incidental references to ruling dynasties and contemporary
religions. Its historical value.is extremely open to doubt, but it furnishes a
starting point for further research and hence cannot be dismissed as entirely
fanciful.
Devachandra
and his elder brothers Chandayya and Padmaraja were the descendants of a Jaina
Brahmana Bommanna, an accountant of Giripura.
Devachandra
was born in 1770 A.D, and from his Fourteenth year he began to write poems. In
his 22nd year (1772 4.1) he wrote Pujyapada Charita in Kannada.
Since his elder brother Padmaraja is also said to have written that work, both
brothers must have co-operated in the production. Since Devachandra presented
the Rajavali Kathe to Mummudi Krishna Raja Wodeyar in 1841 he must have lived
for more than 70 years. Rajavali Kathe was his last work and before that he
wrote Ramakathavatara, Sumeru Sataka, Bhaktisara, Satakatraya, Sastrasara,
Laghu Vritti, Pravachana Siddhanta, Dravya Samgraha Dvadasanupreksha Katha,
Dhyana Samrajya, Dvadasanupreksha Katha, Dhyana Samrajya, Adhyatma Vichara,
Karnataka Samskrta Balanudi, etc. He says that when Mackenzie with Sardar
Lakshman Rao came to Kankagiri, he asked for local records, Devachandra showed
him his pujyapada charita. Mackenzie took the poet along with him from
Kamaraballi to Nagavala and giving him 25 Rupees asked him to send a written account
of all the old traditions. Devachandra began his Rajavali Katha in 1804 and
completed it in 1838 A.D. Therefore he took nearly 35 years in compiling it. In
1841 Deviramba, Queena of Chamaraja heard of the work and asked the author to
complete it by adding the history of the Mysore Kings. Perhaps this was
submitted to Krishna Raja Wodeyar III in 1841-42.
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