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Preface
Many of the findings of the researches in the realm of history and literature, clearly indicate the indelible and enormous influence of the Shramana culture on Pan-Indian life.
The main basis of the Söramana culture has been man's autoeffort and spiritual prowess. "Only self-effort paves way to glory and uplift; bestowed bcons and munificent merojes never work."—this has been the clarion call of this culture. This prime tenet has been very much discussed and explained in connected literature and more so in other schools of philosophy as the main subject of discussion,
।।... आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यो सितम्या::..।" "See the self, hear the same, contemplate and meditate over
This saying of Upanishad indicates the reality of the abovementioned doctrine.
The clarion call of dutifulness and exertion which arose in the eastern part of India soared up to resound all over country. The deliverers of this revolutionary message were Lord Mahavira and Lordi Buddha, as evident from the literature belonging to that age It is also worth mentioning that such a radical call was there in the air centuries before and it was in its highest pitch and peak during the era of Lord Mahavira and Lord Buddha, which got the eloquent expression in the holy Jaina scriptural literature in Prakrit and Buddhist Pitakas in Pāli.
Prakrit was the common language in vogue in North India, which was slightly different owing to regional destinetions Otherwise, all the dialects grew from the same origin and source.
The most ancient Jaina scriptural literature which is available now, in somewhat changed and refined form, forms that kind of Prākrit, called Ardha Mgaadhi
8.aarpuutanitafa ac 48414 2, ATEIT 4,97 5
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