Contribution of Jainas to Sanskrit and Prakrit Literature

Author(s): Vasantkumar Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah, Dinanath Sharma
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad

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Jain Contribution to Sanskrit Literature
(1349 A. D.).
31. Namisādhu was a Svetāmbara Jain Bhiksu and disciple of Salibhadra. He wrote his commentary in the year Sam. 1125 (1069 A. D.) for men of feeble intellect, ever on the look out for primers and abstracts. His gloss is drawn up “In strict accordance with commentaries drawn up by mighty minds of old." For Rudrata's work to grow so much in importance and for it to become so popular, sufficient time must have elapsed and about two centuries may be thought of as that interval.
32. Ajitasena was a Jain ascetic. He was priest of Camundaraya, minister of the Ganga king Ragamalla of the 10th century A. D. He was the teacher of the Kanarese poet Nagavarama, head of a Mutt at Bankipore. His Sringāramañjari is a small work in 128 verses meant for elementary instruction, but Alankaracudamani is more elaborate.
33. Asadhara was the son of Sallaksana and Rathi of the family of Vyaghravala. He was a Jaina teacher. His wife was Sarasvati and his son Chabada, a favourite of king Arjunavarman of Malva who ruled in the 1st quarter of the 13th century A. D. He lived till Sam. 1296 A. D. (1240 A. D.). He wrote about fifteen works, of which he gives a list. His Trisasti-smrtis-sastra was written in 1236 A. D.
34. Harihara, a Jaina poet named Madanakirti, and Someśvara, the author of the Kirtikaumudi and Vastupala were contemporaries.
Dūtakāvyas Mythclogical subjects R. G. Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha, Pārsvanātha and Neminātha utilised. In the hands of Jaina and Vaišnava authors, the device easily becomes the means of religious instruction, reflection or propaganda. A curious literary application is also seen in the adoption of the trick of Samasyā-pūrana in the composition of some Dūta-kāvyas. The Jaina poems about the progress report from a pupil to the preceptor are not fictitious in respect of persons figuring in them, as in the Pavana-duta of Dhoyi.
Conclusion Innumerable Jain books are lying in various places which are seeing the light very slowly due to the efforts of genuine scholars. The Jains were impartial for all the languages. Even Dravidian languages were also patronised by the Jain scholars.