Jainism in South India

SR No.: 250185
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T K Tukol
Publisher: Z_Rajendrasuri_Janma_Sardh_Shatabdi_Granth_012039.pdf
Publication Year: 1977
Total Pages: 6
Language: English
Classification: Article & Geography
File Size: 870 KB

Page 6

epistomolgy and logic number more than 84. Umaswati's Tattvarthasutra is known as the Jaina Bible. Pujyapada, Akalanka, Vidyananda, Prabhachandra and Srutasagara are some of the Jaina commentators from the South on Tattvarthasutra. Samantabhadra's Ratnakardanda-Sravakachara is a popular work on Jaina ethics. He has written many other books. Prabhachandra and Vidyananda are the other writers in Samskrit whose names must be mentioned with respect. Jinasen's Adipurana is quite popular. Dr. Saletore has stated that "the Jaina teachers, as the intellectual custodians of the Andhradesa, the Tamil land, and Karnataka most assiduously cultivated the vernaculars of the people, in wrote in them great works of abiding value to the country. Almost all the early Jaina writers were profound scholars in Samskrit and the renowned classics in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada were produced by them. "So far as Kannada literature is concerned, R. Narsimhacharya who has written three volumes of Kannada literature, has called the period of Jaina writers as the Augustan Age of Kannada literature", I have already referred to the earliest work : Kaviraja-marga which is the only work that mentions the boundaries of Karnataka as having spread from Godavari to Kaveri. The author has mentioned the names of earlier writers who were also Jainas. Pampa, Ponna and Ranna are called the Ratna-trajas of Kannada literature. Each of them composed a secular work as also a religious purana to serve the cause of the public as also of their own religion, Pampa's Vikamrarjuna-Vijay and Adipurana, Ponna's Bhuvanaikaramabhyudaya and Shantipurana and Ranna's Gadaddhya and Ajitapurana occupy a special place of pride in Kannada literature on account of their poetic excellence and grandeur of conception. All the three poets flourished in the tenth century. Then came Nagachandra or Abhinava Pampa whose Ramayana and Mallinathapurana are unique for their descriptive power and facility of expression. E. P. Rice considers the Ramayana as unique since it preserves the Jaina version of that epic. Wadduradhane of Shivakotyacharya and Chamundaruja Purana of Chamundaraya are the only two earliest works in prose. Kabbigarakava of Andayya and Dharmamrita of Nayasena are two works which were written in pure Kannada without the use of Samskrit words. Nemichandra's Lilavati is a beautiful poem. The contribution of Jaina writers and poets to Kannada literature has been so rich and varied that it forms a glorious chapter in the history of Kannada literature. Kesiraja's Sabdamanidarpana is a standard work on grammar and linguistics and stands unequalled to this day. Bhattakalanka Deva has written another valuable work on grammar, prosody and linguistics. Sridharacharya wrote a book on astrology while Jagaddala Somanath has written a book entitled : Kalyana-Karaka on medicine. Rajaditya has written a book on mathematics. Brahma Kavi has written a book called Samaya Pariksha on Jaina ethics. Bharatesha Vaibhava of Ratnakar Varni is a marvelous poem on the life of Bharat. I have already referred to a few important works of Jaina poets in Tamil. Yasodhara Kavya, Chudamani, Udayanan Kathai, Nagakumara Kavyam and Neelakeshi are some of the Kavyas written by Jaina authors. Sripurana is a popular poem among the Jaina. There were some Jaina writers and poets in Telugu but many of their works have not been availavie. As Dr. S. Krishnaswami Iyengar says : "There must be a Jaina period in Andhya Literature before the Ilth century as in Kannada Literature, the absence of which is a mystery to be solved by historians. "Adharvanacharya was a poet well-versed in Samskrit and Telugu. He is said to have written a book on prosody and grammar at the beginning of the 13th century. Gokarna is another poet who wrote a book entitled "Kavijanasraya" Padma Kavi has written Jinendra Purana while Sarvadevayya has written Adipurana. It is a unique feature of Jaina writers that they have contributed works of literary merit in all Indian languages. As Dr. Maurice Winternitz has said : "it would take a fairly big volume to give a history of all that the Jainas have contributed to the treasures on Indian literature." There is no Indian language in which the Jainas have not contributed to the secular or religious literature of different languages in our country. They were men of broad outlook, identified themselves with the people of the region where they settled and tried their best to enrich the spiritual, social and literary thoughts of that region. This speaks of their catholicity and mastery of languages. "Today.... the followers of Jainism are an insignificant religious minority in these areas in contrast to the rich contributions which the Jaina monks and laymen have all along made to the cultural heritage of this part of our land. There are Jaina caves on secluded but inspiring spots; there are temples which are fine specimens of art, sculpture ( Contd. on Page 23 ) ces V, N. S. 2503 11