Universal Values of Prakrit Texts

SR No.: 006701
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Prem Suman Jain
Publisher: Bahubali Prakrit Vidyapeeth and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 368
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 144

To understand the Agamas is not that easy. The reader should be well equipped with fundamental training. The Prakrit Agama's were brief and were in sūtra style. Jaina canons, were religious treatises and highly philosophical in its content. Hence to facilitate the readers, commentaries like Niryūktis, Bhashyas, Chiūrṇi's and Tīkās were composed. Those who wrote such commentaries were erudite scholars and were trained in the traditional scholarship. Therefore, they explained and expanded the original sutras with appropriate examples. Some times anecdotes and stories were quoted. In brief, the commentaries were storehouses of knowledge. Generally Niryuktis and Bhashyas were also in Prakrit language, where as Cūrṇis were composed by blending both Prakrit and Sanskrit. But, for the Ṭīkās Sanskrit language was employed.
In the context of Kannada literature, it is to be underlined that from the early period, Kannada commentaries were written mostly based on the Sanskrit Tīkas. However, it should be remembered that Kannada commentators were equally good in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada. Some of them were monks of eminence. With this in background, I have attempted to introduce some of the Kannada commentaries of Prakrit works. Adhyatmi Bālacandra, Bahubali, Meghacandra, Bhrājisņu, Padmanandi, Padmaprabha, Prabhacandra, Kesavanna and others have authored Kannada Tīkās to Prakrit Agama-śāstra granthas.
Poet Boppņņa Pandita (12th century AD) who wrote the famous Gommata-jina-stuti, describes Bālacandramuni as versed in true knowledge, who possessed the science of soul-knowledge and whose fame was bright [Epigraphia Karnatika, vol. 2 (Revised). Inscription no. 336 (234), 12th century].
The epithet 'Adhyatmi' itself indicates the spiritual status and personality of Balacandra. The Asrava-Tribhangi, Prabhrutaka-traya [SamayasāraPrabhruta, Mokkha-pāhuḍa, Pravacanasāra, Pañcāstikāya] - are some of the
102 -