Gommatsara Jiva-Kanda (Sacred Books of the Jainas)

...souls in various conditions of life, from the fine, completely undevelopable, vegetable-bodied soul to the fully developed, rational, five-sensed beings. The answers are based on ancient manuscripts—the Dhavala, Jaya Dhavala, and Maha Dhavala—still preserved in needle-pricked characters on palm leaves in the Jain temple at Mudbidri, South Canara, India. The major part of Gommatasara is based on the Dhavala, which was composed by Acharya Bhutabali about the 7th century after Lord Mahavira.

Chamunda Raya was also called Raja Gommata, most probably due to his great devotion to Shri Gommata Deva (Lord Mahavira). As a compliment to the great questioner, the compilation was called Gommatasara after his name.

Chamunda Raya.

Chamunda Raya was a brave general and a great minister of the Jain King Raja Rajamalla, who reigned from 974 to 984 A.C. (after Christ) and belonged to the Ganga dynasty.*

The ancestors of this Jaina dynasty ruled at Ayodhya and were descended from the ancient Ikshwaku family, founded by Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara. Once, Vijaya Maha Devi, wife of Raja Bharata—a descendant of the family—went to bathe in the Ganges while pregnant. A son was born to her there, and due to this circumstance, he was named Ganga Datta. He became a renowned king, and the dynasty was called Ganga-Vansha after his name. In this dynasty, Maharaja Vishnu Gopa flourished at Ahichchatrapore (near Bareilly, U.P.). He had two sons from his wife Prithvi-mati, named Bhagadatta and Shri Datta. Bhagadatta went to the Kalinga country (near Orissa), ruled there, and established the Kalinga Ganga dynasty. Shri Datta continued to rule at Ahichchatra. Raja Padma Nabh was his descendant. He had two sons named Rama and Lakshman. Following a dispute with Raja Mahipal of Ujjain (Malwa), he had to leave Ahichchatra for the Deccan with his sons, whose names he changed to Didiga and Madhava. They went to Perur in the District of Cuddapah in the Madras Presidency and offered respects to the learned and spiritually advanced Acharya Sinha Nandi, who bestowed spiritual blessings upon them. They established their power near Mysore in the second century after Christ. The 21st king in descent from Madhava, who began to rule in 103 A.C., was Raja Malla II.

Chamunda Raya belonged to the clan of Brahma Kshatriya. He won many battles and received many titles, such as Samara-Dhurandhara...