Contribution of Jainism to Indian History

Author(s): A K Chateerjee
Publisher: Z_Shwetambar_Sthanakvasi_Jain_Sabha_Hirak_Jayanti_Granth_012052.pdf

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If literature is considered to be an intergral part of culture, then we must say that the literature of Jainas is extremely rich and extensive. The Agamic texts themselves have great literary value and the works like the Bhagavati, Jñatadharmakatha, Vipakasruta, Uttaradhyayanasūtra and Daśavaikalika are great and original literary products and the last one, composed by Brahmin Sayyambhava at Campa, around 400 B.C. can be compared with the Bhagavadgita and the Dhammapada.
The story literature of the Jainas can be compared with the literature of the Hindus. Even the Agamic texts are extemely attractive story-texts and the Jnatadharmakatha, Vipakasruta and the Antagadadasa etc., have innumerable stories and even love-stories are also abundant. The two epics and the missing Bṛhatkatha have deeply influenced the Jaina narrative literature and hundreds of Svetämbara and Digambara works were composed in imitation of the above mentioned Brahmanical texts.
The earliest non-Agamic Jaina literary work, is the Paumacariyam of Vimala, composed in all probability, in the 1st century A.D. It is, in our opinion. the earliest Prakrit work of India and probably somewhat earlier than the missing Bṛhatkatha of Gunadhya. It is the Jaina version of the Ramayana and the poet has shown considerable originality in his treatment of the Rama-story. Although Vimala has not cared to mention Valmiki by name, he has scrupulously followed the original work; however, everywhere there is at Jaina bias. Later Jaina Ramayanas like those composed by Ravisena. Svayambhu, Hemacandra etc., are all based on Vimala's admirable work.
The Mahabharata saga also has influenced the Jainas, and we have in the Vasudevahindi, the Harivamsa (by Jinasena II) and the later Pandavapurānas, the stories from the Mahabharata and even Hemacandra, the great Kalikālasarvajña was influenced by the original Mahabharata in his celebrated Trişaṣṭisalakäpuruṣacaritra. The Bṛhatkatha literature has left its mark on the works like the Vasudevahindi, the Harivadas, Bṛhatkathakosa etc. However, in all their literary works, the Jaina writers have shown great skill and maturity.
However, the most original among the Jaina writers of the medieval period was Somadeva, the celebrated author of the Yasastilakacampu, written in the middle of the 10th century A.D. It is a great novel, composed by a writer, who was probably a native of Bengal. In some respect, we can call him the Banbhatta of the Jaina literature. He has wit and a keen sense of human and
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