Collected Research Papers in Prakrit and Jainology Vol 02

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: University of Pune

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Peculiarities of Jaina Mahārāştri Literature (A Brief Chronological and Subject wise Survey with Critical Remarks)
(A Paper presented in the National Seminar on 'Spectrum of Jainaism in Southern India'
organized by K.J.Somaiya Centre for Studies in Jainaism on 20th & 21st Oct.2008)
Introduction
Jainaology or Jaina studies is a wholesome branch of knowledge in the perspective of Indian Culture. The edifice of Jaina Tradition is based on four pillars, viz. 1) History or Antiquity, 2) Philosophy and Logic, 3) Literature and 4) Art and Sculpture. In the early years of my career, I entered Jainaism through the gateway of Prakrit languages. Therefore, when I selected "Spectrum of Jainaism in Maharashtra", my attention was immediately drawn towards Jaina Mahārāstri literature. In this paper, I will try to draw a brief sketch of Jaina Mahārāstri literature with its highlights.
The variety of languages used by Jainas is stunning. No other religion in India had carried out its literary activities in various Prakrit dialects than Jainas. The ancient canonical texts of Svetāmbaras are written in Ardhamāgadhi and that of Digambaras in Jaina Sauraseni. Vācaka
Umāsvāti introduced Sanskrit in Jaina literature by writing Tattvārthasūtra in Sūtra style (4" Cen. A.D.) Many Śve. and Dig. Ācāryas continued their writings in Skt., the language of classes, up to
15th Cen. A.D. Ācārya Bhadrabāhu (II") started commentarial work on Ardhamāgadhi canons in
Jaina Mahārāstrī in the 3d Cen. A.D. by writing his Nijjuttis. All Śve. Ācāryas preferred JM. for
their literary activities in Pkt. up to 15th Cen. A.D. In the meantime the religious and the philosophical teachings were written down in manuals in verse by scholars like Kundakunda,
Vattakera and Yativrsabha and others up to the 12th Century. All these writings are included in the scope of Jaina Sauraseni. The language found in all these books is fairly uniform but differs considerably from the Jaina Mahārāstrī. Though Dig. continued their writings in Jś., number of treatises is declining. Variety of subjects and literary forms is comparatively much less than that of JM. When Apabhramsa dialects took literary form, Dig. writers started their writings in Apa. Though the first Apa. epic of Svayambhū was written in gth 9th Century A.D. , Digambara
Acāryas were in their full form between 10th up to 15th centuries. Their language is fairly uniform and constitutes the bulk of Apa. literature mostly dedicated to Caritas. The most striking feature of the Apa. literature is the fact that the whole of it is written in verses and there hardly exists any prose in it. The Apa. works written by non-Jaina writers are scanty. Chronologically last part of Apa. is practically the beginning of New Indo Aryan languages.
The facts which we get through this brief language-sketch of Jaina literature, gives rise to ample curiosities about the Peculiarities of JM. literature.
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