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## Introduction
The power of imagination developed further, leading to the emergence of literary devices, which gradually increased in number. Initially, there were only four literary devices, but now their number has grown to over a hundred. The language of this period was complex and infused with imagination. During this era, the treasury of Sanskrit language was enriched more than in any other period. Most of the available Jain scriptures in Sanskrit were composed during the commentary period, the Puranic period, and the poetic period.
## Prakrit
It is true that no Jain scriptures written in Sanskrit are available from before the commentary period, but this does not mean that Jains did not have a tradition of writing scriptures before that, or that they did not have their own language. Jain Acharyas have never been obsessed with language. They have always considered language as a means, not an end. This is why they have always taught the truth to the people in their own language. For many centuries before the Common Era, the common language of the people of India was Prakrit. At that time, Jain Acharyas used to teach the truth in Prakrit. Buddhists adopted a branch of Prakrit called Magadhi, which later became known as Pali. The Buddhist Tripitaka scriptures are considered to have been composed before the Common Era. The language of the Jain Anga scriptures is from before the Common Era, even though their current compilation is from a later period.
Some people have held the view that Prakrit originated from Sanskrit, and the first sutra of Prakrit grammar, "Prakritiḥ Sanskritam," supports this view. But the truth is not like that. Prakrit is the ancient common spoken language of India. The inscriptions of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, who ruled in the 3rd century BCE, are found in many parts of India, and their language is considered to be the Prakrit language of that time. This makes it clear that centuries before the Maha-bhashyakara, the common people spoke different types of Prakrit. Prakrit means natural. The Jain Agamas are written in this Prakrit language.
Since the language of Ashoka's inscriptions is of various types of Prakrit, and the Prakrit languages used in the plays of great poets also show diversity, it can be said that even before the Common Era, different types of Prakrit had emerged due to regional differences. Vararuchi, in his "Prakrit Prakash," has mentioned three types of Prakrit besides the general Prakrit: 1. Shauraseni, 2. Magadhi, and 3. Paisachi. Hemachandra, in his "Hema Vyākaraṇa," has mentioned five types: 1. Shauraseni, 2. Magadhi, 3. Paisachi, 4. Chulika Paisachi, and 5. Apabhramsha. Trivikram, in his "Prakrit Sutra Vritti," and Lakshmidhara, in his "Shadbhasha Chandrika," have also described these types. Markandeya, in his "Prakrit Sarvasva," has considered four types: 1. Bhasha, 2. Vibhasha, 3. Apabhramsha, and 4. Paisachi, and has further classified them into 16 sub-types: 1. Maharashtri, 2. Shauraseni, 3. Prachi, 4. Avanti, 5. Magadhi, 6. Shakari, 7. Chandali, 8. Shabari, 9. Abhirika, 10. Takki, 11. Nagar, 12. Brachad, 13. Upnagar, 14. Kaikaya, 15. Shaurasen, and 16. Panchal. The first five are considered "Bhasha" Prak