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Observations on 16th century - Jaina-Literature
* JŚ works are totally absent in 16th century.
* JM. works are very few. They are dedicated to various subjects but they lack in originality and noteworthiness.
* Apa. literature of this century is mostly biographical.
* Jaina poets started their poetical compositions in 'Dohā' metre around 10th century A.D. The language of Pāhudadohā and Sāvayadhammadohā is designated as late Apabhramsa. The famous Saint Kabir composed dohās around 15th century. In the same metre Jaina author Mahacanda presented his Dohāpāhuda in 16th century.
* Sanskrit works of Svetāmbaras and Digambaras are ample and variety of subjects is remarkable.
* Declining tendency of Prakrit works is very natural because Jaina authors had already started their writings in modern Indian regional dialects. Jaina literature of this century is found in Gujrati, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. These dialects acquired their independent identity. Jaina and non-Jaina streams of literature started flowing forcefully in regional languages.
* Kanakakusalagani, Padmasāgaragani (both Sve.) and Subhacandra (Dig.) are important among the Skt. authors.
* Secular classical Sanskrit works and works based on poetics, metrics are very few in this century. Unlike the previous centuries, the Jaina authors preferred writing on the subjects which are concerned to Jainism.
* Karma-literature of this century is noteworthy. Vijayavimalagani wrote his Karma-work in Jaina Mahārāștrī. His other works are in Sanskrit. Prabhācandra and Srīpālasuta wrote commentaries on Pancasamgraha.
* The popularity of Carita form took a different mode in this century. Jaina authors chose unique personalities other than 63 Salākāpuruṣas as the central characters of their biographies. The personalities of Kūrmāputra, Srīpāla, Uttamakumāra, Vimalamantri, Rāyamalla, Campakaśreștī, Sthūlabhadra, Jambūsvāmi, Sāmbapradyumna, Satī Candanā, Jīvandhara etc. found place as central characters. The popularity of Yaśodhara was retained in this century by Padmasāgaragani.
* Narrative literature of this century contains two works having the same title 'Samyaktvakaumudi'. Various collections of narratives were written with anything special about them.
