Karakandu

Karakandu or Karakanda was a powerful legendary^[1] Jain emperor of Kalinga (Odisha and North Andhra), who is said to have lived between 9^th Century B.C to 6^th Century B.C. He is a celebrated hero of many Jain and Buddhist religious scriptures. Ancient Buddhist text of Kumbhakara Jataka mentions him to be the Pratyekabuddha or the enlightened living being. Karakandu was a great devotee of the 23^rd Jain tirthankar Parshvanatha who had preached Jainism in Kalinga around 850 B.C.^[2] Karakandu was also refereed as the "Bull among Kings" by Mahavira, the 24^th Jain tithankar.^[3] Successive Jain writers over the years have placed him in the group of four Chakravati kings of the Indian subcontinent during his time who also were considered as prateykabudhhas namely, Nagnajit of Gandhara, Nemi or Nimi of Videha, Durmukha or Dwimukha of Panchala and Karakandu of Kalinga.^[4] After achieving victory over many kings and ruling for a long term, Karakandu became a Jain Sramana and left the throne and kingdom in charge of his son. During his time Kalinga was a Jain stronghold often described as the Kalinga Jinasana which may be compared to the later era Buddhist Janapadas. It was Jain monk Kanakmara's work in Apabrhamasa or Prakrit language known as Karakandu Cariu which gives detailed events about his life.

Successive Buddhist and Jain ancient literature describing Karakandu

Both the followers of Buddhism and Jainism have written successive literature about Karakandu till the early 16^th Century A.D. The languages like Prakrit. Pali and Sanskrit were used to create the literal works about him.^[5] The literature works about his life are,

• Karakanda Cariu by Jain monk Kanakmara (Digambara Jain sect)
• Majjimanikaya (Buddhist)
• Kumbhakara Jataka (Buddhist)
• Uttaradhyayana Sutra by Devendra (Swetambara Jain sect)
• Sisyahita commentary by Santisuri (Swetambara Jain sect)
• Kathakosa by Subhasilagani (Swetambara Jain sect)
• Apabhramsa or Prakrit Language story of Karakandu by Sricandra (Digambara Jain sect)
• Karakanda Caritra by Subhacandra and Sakalbhusana (Digambara Jain sect)
• Karakanda Caritra by Rayadhu in Prakrit Language
• Punyasravana Kathakosa by Ramacandra in Sanskrit Language

Life of Karakandu as narrated in literature

Jain Monk Kanakmara's creation "Karakandu Cariu" is the most complete work on the life of Karakandu. Though there are mythical angles induced in this work of literature, the historicity of the character is substantiated by multiple follow up works by believers from both Buddhism and Jainism.^[6]

Early Life of Karakandu

Karakandu was the son of king Dadhivahana and Queen Padmavati of Anga kingdom. As recorded in the literature, Padmavati wished to ride an elephant with her husband while being Pregnant with Karakandu. Due to some reasons the elephant became agitated and ran into the forests uncontrollably. The king saved himself while the queen became unconscious and later found herself in a deserted and dry cremation ground. The queen gave birth to the baby with a dry scab in his hand. Matanga, a Vidyadhara or wisdom holder from Kalinga persuaded the queen that the child is destined to become the king of Kalinga one day and should be left with him to be trained for this purpose. Due to the scab wound in the baby's hand Matanga named him Karakanda. Karakanda learned all the arts and sciences to gain knowledge under the guidance of the Vidyadhara. Queen Padmavati left the place and went on to become a nun under the sage Samadhigupta.

After some years the king of Kalinga died without any heir to the throne. Undergoing some ritual tests, Karakandu was chosen as the king. He married the princess Madanavali, the daughter of the king of Girinagara known as Ajayvarma.

Conquest of Champa

According to the narration in the literature, the king Dadhivahana of Champa (Anga) or the real father of Karakandu demanded him to pay homages being unaware that he was his son. Karakandu enraged with this act led a seize on Champa by crossing the river Ganga. Mythical angles used in the narration of the texts exaggerate the scene of the battle between both father and son. Karakandu was almost defeated in the battle but due the use of knowledge provided to him by his foster father Matanga Vidyadhara, he was able to turn the tide of the battle. According to the narrations it is said that the mother of Karakandu who had by now turned a nun intervened in some manner and introduced both father and son to each other. Realizing that Karakandu was his son, Dadhivahana crowned him as the king of Champa.

Invasion of Lanka and Subjugation of Chola, Chera and Pandyan Kings

After becoming the king, Karakandu marched with a huge army to subjugate the southern kings as they didn't accept his suzerainty. He camped at Terapura or Dharashiv in the modern Osmanabad district of Maharastra. Here the king Shiva of the region visited him and Karakandu learned about the spiritual importance of the place and the mountains as a Jain shrine. Following some folklore of the time he excavated the Dharashiv caves and also build some new caves there for meditation by Jain monks. Karakandu landed on Simhala island with his army and the king accepting his suzerainty invited him to his palace and married off his daughter, the princess Rativega to him.

Marriages of Karakandu

The narrations also say that while returning from his expedition in south with the princess of Lanka, he protected a Vidyadhara by killing his enemies and then married his daughter Kanakprabha. He is also said to have married other women from the Vidyadhara community like Anangalekha, Chandralekha, Kusumavah along with seven hundred women.

Karakandu invaded the territories of the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas and defeated them. The rulers of these dynasties were taken prisoners and presented before him. Soon he realized that the kings were devotees of the Jain tirthankars as the kings had their carved idols or symbols in their crowns. He forgives them and lets them to independently rule as his vassals in the south.

Karakandu Becomes a Jain Sramana or Monk

Karakandu was counseled by the sage Silagupta at his second capital Champa about the truth of material life and the religious principles. Disgusted with the way life functions in the material premises, he abdicated his throne for his son Vasupala and left the kingdom to become a monk. The mother of Karakandu, Padmavati is also described to have attained heaven during this phase of counseling by Silagupta.

Conclusion

According to Kanakmara, Karakanda had very strong faith in the teachings by greatest Jain philosophers of his era. He strictly followed the Anuvratas and Gunavratas principles of Jainism, which are applicable for both monks and household people according to Jainism. ^[7] Since most of the literary works about Karakandu are written with mythical and magical angles to the realistic events of his time, the historicity behind his existence is proven due the repeated efforts to keep him alive through literature by both Buddhists and Jains along with the present existence of Dharashiv caves in Maharashtra which he had excavated and renovated once in his lifetime.

References

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