Collected Research Papers in Prakrit and Jainology Vol 02

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

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(vi) From 15th century onwards, Digambara Jainas of Mahārāstra are seen engaged in writing various Tīrthankara Caritas and so on.
Religious discourses in various contemparary Prakrits
Preaching in Ardhamāgadhi is not an invention or revolt of Lord Mahāvīra, the 24th Tīrthankara. According to Jaina tradition, all the Tīrthankaras before Lord Mahāvīra, also preached in Ardhamāgadhi, it means, all the Tīrthankaras might have preached in their own regional languages. For Jainas, Prakrits were very natural & intrinsic. They were not artificially employed for keeping the identity.
The Jaina authors were mostly wandering ascetics and resting at a place during rainy season, delivering religious preaching. Naturally they developed an art of explaining a particular point by giving suitable examples, illustrations and stories in the current contemporary languages viz. Prakrits. Even today their are numerous Jaina Sadhus and Sādhvīs, having ability to deliver lectures in three or four regional languages very fluently.
Practical Jainaism
In daily religious practices, Jainas recite Bhaktāmara and Kalyānamandira stotras which are in Sanskrit. Digambaras read out Tattvārthasūtra during the period of Paryusana. The Şadāvaśyaka contains Sāmāyika, Vandanā, Stuti, Pratikramana, Kāyotsarga and Pratyākhyāna. The whole text is in Ardhamāgadhi. The practice of saying 'Micchāmi Dukkadam' is carried out very religiously. The Namokkāra-mantra and stotras like 'Uvasaggaharam pāsam' and 'Pucchisu nam etc. are in Prakrit and they are very popular. Jainas recite various religious texts very easily without considering whether they are in Prakrit or in Sanskrit. The capacity of Jainas to adopt various languages is unparallel. This multilingual attitude is handed down to them by Lord Mahāvīra and further prominent Jaina Acāryas. This inherited model of acquiring suitable languages is proved to be beneficial even to the laity, which mostly owes merchant class.
Conclusion It is wellknown that Jainas are very rigid, staunch and uncompromising in religious matter and conduct. But for keeping their identity intact through the ages, Jaina writers and preachers display a very flexible and practical attitude towards languages. Can rigidity and flexibility go hand in hand ? We can solve this puzzle with the help of the eminent Jaina theory of 'Dravya-guna
paryāya'. According to Jaina fundamentals, the six Dravyas (physical categories) and seven Tattvas (ethical categories) are Reals (HC). The language in which they are expressed and explained are only paryāyas means modes, modifications or variations. Though the paryāyas change, the 'sat' remains unchanged. Thus without creating and maintaining any language-taboo, Jainas molded themselves in various languages from time to time.
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