Doctrines of Jainism

Author(s): Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi Godiji Jain Derasar Mumbai

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The Doctrines of the Jainas
many works, of which only two have survived, Gadayuddha and Ajita Tirihankara Purana.
Another great Jaina writer of Kannada prose and poetry in that century was Chamundaraya, who, besides being an able administrator and warrior, was a patron of Ranna, among others. It was he who had the colossal image of Gomateshvara carved at Sravana Belgola.
Among the later-Jaina authors we may mention Nayachandra, the author of Mallinatha Purana and Rama chandra charita Purana; Brahmashiva, the author of Samayapariksha and Nayasena, the author of Dharmamrta.
The Jaina influence on Telugu deserves careful investigation. Practically no research has been done on the subject and we look to competent scholars for enlightenment in this unexplored region.
Very little research, moreover, has been done on the Jaina contributions to science. But from even the little that has been done it is apparent that they achieved memorable success in this field also. Referring to the Jaina classification of animals, Dr. Brajendranath Seal remarks:
....Umasvati's classification of animals.. is a good instance of classification by series, the number of senses possessed by the animal taken to determine its place in the series.2
And as regards the Jaina contribution to the atomic
1.
I am deeply indebted to Prof. K.S.S. Dharanendraiya of Bangalore for my acquaintance with the Jaina contribution to Kanada literature. The Positive Science of the Ancient Hindus, 1915. p. 188.
2.
For