Nagavundi Jakkaiyabbe

Summary

Under the section on historical women Hampana profiles Nāḍgavunḍi Jakkaiyabbe a noblewoman from the tenth century who served as governor of a principality comprising seventy villages; She belonged to a powerful family connected to the Rāṣṭrakūṭa and Cālukya dynasties; Inscriptions describe her as a brave administrator who protected her territory and ensured justice; She possessed executive ability and was praised for good government and devotion to the Jina; When she saw that palm leaf copies of the epic Śāntipurāṇa were unavailable to scholars she employed professional scribes to copy the entire twelve canto poem; She then distributed these copies as śāstra dāna; This act preserved the poem for posterity and demonstrated her commitment to learning; The article notes that Jakkaiyabbe also donated land and rice for temple maintenance and arranged for the construction of shrines; Toward the end of her life she performed the vow of sallekhana choosing to fast unto death under the guidance of a monk; She made over all her property to her daughter and freed herself from worldly duties; Jakkaiyabbe’s decision to embrace ritual death illustrates her spiritual conviction; The narrative emphasises that she balanced worldly responsibilities with religious observances; Her life story serves as an example of a woman who exercised political authority and spiritual discipline