Brief Account of Jain Tamil Literature

Author(s): Krishnachand Choradia
Publisher: Z_Sumanmuni_Padmamaharshi_Granth_012027.pdf

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Glory of Jain Culture
by Sekkizar which presents the stories of 63 Nayanmārs. The frame of which appears to be worked out on the model of Mahõpuräna or Trišasthi Šalāka puruša carita of Jains.
(3) Arhacandra Vāda Carukkam; (4) Mokkala Vāda Carukkam; (5) Buddha Vãda Carukkam; (6) Äjîvaka Văda Carukkam; (7) Sãnkhya Vãda Carukkam; (8) Vaišesika Văda Carukkam; (9) Veda Vada Carukkam; (10) Bhúta Vāda Carukkam.
IV. Prosody and Grammatical Literature :
It must be latter than the age of Kural and Kundalakesi.
III. Purāna Kävyãs : There are many
purāna kāvyas among which two are very popular.
1. Meru Mandira Puranam : It resembles
in excellence of literary diction, the best of kõvya literature in Tamil. It is based upon a purāņic story relating to Meru and Mandira. The author is Vāmana Muni, who lived in 14th century. It contains of 30 chapters of 1405 stanzas on the whole.
1. Yãpparungalakkârikai: This work on
Tamil prosody is by Amrtasãgara. There is a commentary on this work by Guna Sãgara. It is considered as an authority on metres and poetic composition, and that it is used as such by latter writers are evident from the references
to it found in Tamil Literature. 2. Yãpparungala-Vrutti : This is a
commentary on Yãpparungalakkârikai written by the same author, Amrta Sāgara. There is an excellent edition of this Yãpparungala Vrutti by the late
S. Bhavanandan Pillai. 3. Neminatham : A work on Tamil
Grammar by Gunavîra Pandita. He was a disciple of Vaccananda Muni of Karandai. The object of this work is to give a short and concise account of Tamil Grammer, because the earlier Tamil works were huge and elaborate. It must be placed in the early centuries of the Christian era. It consists of 2 main chapters :
(1) Eluttadikāram (2) Solladikāram.
Sri Purăņa: It is written in an enchanting prose style in Maņipravậla-mixed Tamil and Sanskrit. It is based on Jinesena's and Gunabhadra's Mahāpurāna and is also further called Trisasthisalākāpurusa carita dealing with 63 prominent personalities - 24 Tirthankaras, 12 Cakravartins; 9 Bala Bhadras; 9 Vãsudevas; 9 Prativãsudevas of the present Avasarpiņi era. In Tamil, there is another work by name Periyapurānam
It is composed in the well known venbã metre.
A Brief Account of Jaina Tamil Literature