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120 / The Rāstrakūtas and Jainism
vịtti of Yati-Vrsabha. Since the comm. of Sāmakunda is perhaps lost once for all, nothing difinitely could be said. The method of Šāmakunda's comm., according to the statement ofJinasena ācārya made in Jaya-dhavalā, is called paddhati : Vitti-sutta-visamapaya bhanjie vivaraņāe paddhai vava esādo. It is an explanation for the difficult words that occur in the gloss and sūtra.
5.3.4. In some ways Karņātaka occupied, from the beginning, a special position as regards the commentarial literature on Prakritāgamas and Sanskrit Tattvārtha-sūtra and its learning. Jaina institutions became more apparent from the 4th and 5th cent. A. D., when the Gangas were powerful rulers of Gangavādi 9600. This flourishing state of the Niragrantha faith attracted Jaina scholars, friars and nuns from different parts.
5.3.4.1. Early commentators developed a quaint style called manipravālam, crystal and coral, loaded with Sanskrit and Prakrit words, not easily understood outside the limited learned circle. But, these extensive commentaries hugging the original text, have also assumed the proportion of independent treatise. The fine literary flavour of the commentaries is yet to be assessed properly. What is the real development from one comm. to the other is to be carefully examined, and such a study will enable the reader to discern the progress achieved.
5.3.4.2. As mentioned earlier, the early commentaries were composed at a period when the Gangas were profusely patronising their Jaina faith as guided by their preceptors. Of the Kannada commentaries it is widely believed that cūdamaņi is the earliest (C. 6th cent.). On the basis of inscriptional evidences, it is suggested that Āryadēva of about 4th cent. C. E. composed a comm. on Tattvārthasūtra, in which case he may be the author of Cūdamaņi. This suggession needs a serious consideration. Thus, cūdamaņi
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