Jain Journal 1991 10

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

Page 43

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JAIN JOURNAL
4. On religion in Karnataka : Jainism, according to the traditional
belief, is said to have come from north, the region of Prakrit. Every house holder respectfully recites Prakrit cattāri mangalam and pañcaņamokāra mantram. A critico-historical study of Kannada literature, beginning with the early proto-Kannada and the later kāvyas, go to prove the solid influence of Prakrit. It is said wisely and appropriately, that Kannada literature minus Jain literature is almost zero. This figurative expression can further be extended and sald that the Jain literature in Kannada minus Prakrit influence is a big ciphur.
Both Prakrit and Kannada flourished in a friendly atmosphere under similar circumstances. Prakrit influence started moderately in the last centuries of B.C. and it assumed a massive magnitude by 4th century A.D. Asokan Inscriptions, six edicts of 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. are all in Prakrit and the date of the first inscription of Kannada is 450 A.D. By the time a Kannada inscription appeared there were a dozen Prakrit edicts, of several centuries before that date. Totally there are 24 Prakrit inscriptions in Karnataka, which give information about Maurya, Cuţu, Satavahana, Pallava and Kadamba kings.
Satavahanas, the earliest to rule Karnataka had Prakrit as their administrative language and it is said that they had permitted the people of the palace only to use. Prakrit. Hâlarāja, a king of this Satavāhana dynasty wrote (rather compiled) his famous work Gähäsatta-sai (3rd ceatury AD.) in which he described Prakrit language as a nectar 'amiam pāia kavyam'. Later Gangas who succeeded Satavahanas, also encouraged Prakrit by which time it had its roots deep in the soil of Karnataka.
Though the Tirthařkaras are from the North, most of the Acăryas are from the south in general and from Karnataka in particular. These preceptors bridged the gulf between north and south, using Prakrit as a link language. In Kannada Kathākośa ( Va) Sivakoti, Vaţtakera, Bhūtabali, Puşpadanta, Virasena, Dharasena, Jinasena, Boppadeva, Pajyapada, Samautabhadra, Nemicandra and other preceptors are respectfully remembered in the pontiffical geneology of Jaina Order. Dhavalā, Jayadhavalā and Mahādhavală ultimately took its present shape in Karnataka.
A mixture of Prakrit and Sanskrit is found in Cūrņi texts, eg., Jinadasa Mahattara (676) has employed such a style in his Nandi Cūrni.