Studies in Jainology Prakrit Literature and Languages

SR No.: 001597
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: B K Khadabadi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 460
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Language
File Size: 22 MB

Page 246

Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
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Prose-writer (gadyakāra) might have aslo rendered the Brhat katha into Kannada, which was lost but still remained, as we shall see below, in an oral tradition from which some of rare story- motifs appear to have been picked up and included in works like the Vaddarādhane. And K.M. Munshi's views regarding the oral tradition of the Brhatkathā in Indian folk-literature very well support this line of thought here.
The carly prosc works like the Vaddaradhanc and Cāvundarāya-Purāna are highly influenced by the Middle Indo-Aryan literature. The Vaddarādhane, Composed by some unknown Jaina (Digambra) monk (c.925-A.D.) is an Arādhanā (Kavaca) Kathakośa containing 19 stories which are based on the 19 gahas (1539-1557)' in the Bhagavati Aradhanā of Sivakotyācārya. It had as its sources one or more Prakrit commentaries on the Bhagavati Aradhana and are mainly influenced by them. Among 131 quoted verses in it 62 are in Prakrit (including Apabhramsa). The rest are in Sanskrit and Kannada. It has preserved some rare story motifs'', which appear to have been picked up from some written or more probably, oral tradition of Gunadhya's Brhalkatha. Moreover, an intersting feature of this narrative work is its having some tendencics of the prose narrative texts of the Aradhamagadhi Canon like the Nayadhammakahão, Antagadadasão, Anuttarovavaiyadasão, Nirayāvaliyão, etc. and some of the narrative parls of its exegetical literature, where strict adherence to the Jaina cosmographical setting for each story, emboxment of subtales in the inain or frame-story, stereo-typed descriptions, synonymous repetitions are liberally used. Moreover, several Prakrit words and phrases are found used in their natural settings along with the Kannada words in sentences or clauses in the course of the text : vakkhānisu, jānisu, jāvajjivam, chatthamadasamaduvālasa etc. After reading the text, one feels that author's Prakrit sources and other Middle Indo-Aryan literature (in Jaina Sauraseni, Ardhamagadhi, Apabramsa and even Paisacī) he had used or assimilated, had