Religion and Culture of the Jains

SR No.: 002009
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jyoti Prasad Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 258
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Culture
File Size: 16 MB

Page 215

LITERATURE
193
And, as Winternitz says, "That the Jainas showed such impartiality to other systems, makes their philosophical literature valuable to us." They unequivocally proclaimed "We do not, consider the Lord Arhat as our friend, nor other teachers our enemies, we have no partiality for Mahāvīra, and no hatred against Kapila and other philosophers; we are prepared to adopt the doctrine which is the true and logical one." As a matter of fact. this has ever been the clarion call of Jaina philosophy.
Besides the works covered by the four divisions enumerated above, there is the consecrational, ritualistical and pūjā literature, numerous devotional hymns, eulogies and lyrics composed in praise of the Worshipful ones, the mystic mantra literature, Tirtha-māhātmyas written in praise of certain holy places, paṭṭāvalis and gurvavalis, or pontifical succession lists, pertaining to the different orders of ascetics, and miscellaneous writings.
M. Winternitz, in his valuable monograph The Jainas in the Histotry of Indian Literature, points out that kavyas and mahākāvyas (small and big epics), too have been composed by the Jaina poets, as also the sandhāna-kāvyas, every verse of which is capable of more than one interpretations simultaneously; that lyrical and didactic poetries are also well represented in the literature of the Jainas, including several anthologies of moral maxims; that dramatic poetry and historical poems are also not wanting; and that most valubale contributions have been made by the Jainas to Indian scientific and technical literature; they have treated all branches of science. Moreover, he goes on to say, "It is surprising that the Jainas have paid special attention to the artha-sastra which is 'a worldly science' per excellence," the more outstanding Jaina authors of political science being Somadeva (10th century A.D.) and Hemacandra (12th century A.D.).