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CHAPTER - 6
PRAKRIT LITERATURE
6.1. The Rāstrakūta eon is a lustrious epoch in the history of Jaina church and Jaina literature in particular. Literary achievements of this age are substantial, endowed with imperishable merits transcending the barriers of time, space and environment. The languages widely prevalent during this epoch were mainly Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada. Even the epigraphs of this time subscribe to this finding, though the Prakrit charters are totally absent. The Gangas and the Rāstrakūtas did not stimulate the bards and the laureates to compose inscriptions in Prakrit, like the early Kadambas of Banavāsi. However, the Rāstrakūta empire, at its peak of glory, particularly during the reign of Amõghavarşa-I and Krsna-III, produced Prakrit literature also. The glorious Rāstrakūta age witnessed flowering of Prakrit literary activity.
6.1.2. Bulk of Prakrit literature, highly creditable in quality and in quantity, was produced under the patronage of the Rāstrakūtas. Since the lingua franca of the country where Mahāvira lived was Ardha-Magadhi Prakrit, he adopted it as his media to teach. Because Mahāvira chose to preach in that language, Ardha-Māgadhi became the language of Jaina scripture. Buddhists monopolized Pāli and Jains cornered Prakrit.
6.1.2.1. Gifted Jaina authors appropriated Apabramsa,
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