Jain Journal 1976 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 26

Eminent Apabhramsa Writers of Karnataka
and their Contribution
PREM SUMAN JAIN
From second century to fourteenth century A.D. there is a record of quite a large number of Jaina literary personalities belonging to Karnataka, who have remarkably contributed to the field of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannara languages of this country. Though Karnataka does not seem to be the birth place of any writer of Apabhramsa work, yet it has proved to be a fertile soil for the literary activities of two great poets of Apabhramsa namely Svayambhu and Puspadanta. Thus we can say that the rise of these poets is due to Karnataka. The patronage of Karnataka to these pillars of Apabhramsa literature worked so significantly that they could make stupendous contribution to literature, language and religion.
Svayambhu :
It is of great importance to note that Svayambhu is the first known Apabhramsa writer of eminence who selected Rama and Krsna for composing the Prabandha-Kavya in Apabhramsa literature. The works of Svayambhu namely Paumacariu and Ritthanemicariu, present literary style of greater worth than that of earlier works of Jaina writers relating to Rama and Krsna narrative. It is Svayambhu who for the first time has given literary grandeur to the life of Neminatha along with Krsna in his Ritthanemicariu.
In his two Mahākāvyas Svayambhu has introduced the method of dividing the Prabandha-Kāvya into Kānda, Sandhi and Kadavaka, so much so that it has been freely adopted in the subsequent works of Apabhramsa and Hindi languages.
Many new metres have been invented by Svayambhu in Apabhramsa language. His Svayambhuchanda is the only work of it's type on Apabhramsa metre. It's influence on Hemacandra's Chandanuśāsana can be clearly seen. It will be interesting to note that many metres of Hindi language have been adopted without any reservation from Apabhramsa.