History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 206

COMPARISON AND EVALUATION
and preserved it as they have done, perhaps we would not have been in a position to explain some of the forms and words occurring in the Rg-Veda, Suklayajuḥprātisakhya, Atharvasamhitā, Taittirīyasamhitā, Vājasaneyisamhitā, Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, Gopatha Brāhmaṇa, Taittiriya aranyaka etc.1
Now a word about Apabhramśa language. It appears that the Apabhramśa literature consists mostly of the Jaina works, those composed by the non-Jainas being few and far between. Hemacandra Sūri is the Pāṇini of Apabhramsa grammar, and he has quoted several verses from the works of his predecessors. It remains to be ascertained if the following verse occurring in Silanka Suri's com. (p. 107) on Suyagada is found in any of his works :
189
"कोद्धायओ को समचित्तु
काहोऽवणाहिं काहो दिज्जउ वित्त ।
को उग्घाडउ परिहियउ परिणीयउ को व कुमारु
पडियउ जीव खडप्फडेहिं बंधइ पावह भारु ।"
Probably
the following verse, too, occurs in this commentary "वरि विस खइयं न विसयसुहु इक्कसि विसिण मरंति । विसयाविस पुण घारिया णर णरएहिं वि पडंति ॥ " These verses help us to some extent in fixing the period of the origin of Apabhramśa literature, though it may be argued that the very fact that the Addhamāgahī language also known as Arṣa and Ṛṣibhāṣita is defined as one consisting of 18 Desi bhāṣās* distinctly suggests that Apabhramsa is very very old and can be said to have its origin at least as early as the composition of the Jaina canon.
I may now turn to the Samskṛta language. We do not come across any Jaina canonical treatise which is written in Samskṛta; but, if we can believe that the Puvvas were composed in Samskṛta (vide p. 82), their bulk can speak volumes about the Jaina contributions in Samskṛta. But, as these Puvvas are now extinct, I may refer to the Cunnis* and Samskṛta commentaries on the canonical treatises. Just as in the Vaidika mythology, we hear about the Nṛsimha avatāra (the 4th incarnation) of Viṣṇu and about Ardhanarīśvara rupa (form) of Mahadeva, so in the Cunnis almost in every sentence we come across a portion in Prakṛta2 followed by a portion in Samskṛta. This hybrid as some might term it, is probably due to the transitional period when an attempt was slowly but surely being made to compose the Jaina exegetical
1. For illustrations see Païa-sadda-mahanṇava (vol. IV, intro., p. 11). Dr. P. D. Gune's An Introduction to Comparative Philology (p. 192) may be also consulted.
2. At times this presents some features to be had in the Sauraseni language.
See page 213 of addition. See page 213 of addition.
See page 213 of addition. See page 213 of addition.