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However, for nearly one hundred and fifty years the discoveries of Prakrit have been immense. It covers the Jaina canonical literatures of both Svetambara and Digambara Jains, the Niryuktis and Cūrņis of the canonical texts, the Prakrit mahākā vyas, lyrics, historical kavyas, narrative literature (kathānaka-kāvyas), grammar, metres, rhetorical works, and lexicographical treatises, and similar other works of repute. In a sense, a vast amount of Prakrit literature has been discovered throughout the centuries, where scholars, editors and authors have shown their critical acumen and long standing perseverence for unearthing lost and precious works of Prakrit literature. The amount of Prakrit literature discovered so far can go on at par with Sanskrit literature as a whole. It has produced works in all departments of human knowledge. Today Prakrit has reached to such a state that it needs revaluation of the studies done so far.
3. Revaluation of Prakrit Studies:
Though lots of work are done in the field of Prakrit, a critical assessment of the whole terrain of Prakrit literature is necessary, so that we can go ahead with our future programme. We shall discuss this problem step by step.
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(i) Jaina Canonical Literature:
Like the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahabharata, the critical editions of the Jaina Svetambara and Digambara canonical texts with full critical apparatus are still a desideratum. Some Institutions, like L.D. Institute, Ahmedabad, Prakrit Text Society, Ahmedabad, Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun, Rajasthan, and similar others are preparing some critical editions of the Jaina Agama texts, but they lack perspective. A thorough plan for critical editions of the 45 Agama texts is necessary.
(ii) Jaina Non-Canonical Literature: Niryukti and Cūrṇī :
The critical editions of Niryukti and Cūrṇī have not yet been published abundantly. Though scholars like L.D. Barnett, A.M. Ghatage, etc. have studied some aspects of Niryuktis, these commentatorial literatures have not generally attracted the attention of scholars. As Niryuktis and Cūrṇis have preserved some earliest documents of some words and their explanations with meanings used in the Jaina canonicial texts, these are to be edited carefully and critically so that the text may be dependable. There are quite a large number of this literature, the names of some of which are given below:
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