Jain Journal 1991 10

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

Page 48

OCTOBER, 1991
khed) was burnt, not only Prakrit literature but also Kannada literature lost a great patron in them. Prakrit in particular has to flee from the palace to seek its shelter elsewhere in gurukulas and mathas, but the glory and pomp of creative literature was gone and what followed later was mainly some commentaries on pro-canonical literature.
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The role of Prakrit literature in the development of Kannada is stupendous, both in quality and in quantity. Kannada assimilated some of the best qualities of Prakrit a process which started very early around 3rd c. and continued upto 14th c. Almost as a token of gratitude Karnataka also encouraged Prakrit writers. Dhavaļā was safely preserved for the posterity, Mahakavi Puspadanta wrote his classics here. Virahanka, Svayambhu, Trivikrama, Nemicandra and a host of others, in addition to the galaxy of great Acaryas like Vaṭṭakera, Śivakoti, Virasena, Jinasena all lived and wrote in Karnataka.
Among other variants of Prakrit it is Apabhramsa that has influenced Kannada more. Joindu's (a. 600) Paramappayāsu, Kapakāmara's Karakaṇḍucariu, Siricandra's Kahākosu, Hala's Gähä-satta-sai, and some other kavyas such as Sanat-kumăra cariyam, Bhavisatta-kaha all belong to Apabhramsa group. There are Apabhramsa gāhās quoted in Kannada Vadḍaradhane and other works. Main works and kavyas of Prakrit written in Karnataka also belong to Apabhramsa; for example the works of Puspadanta.
The influence of Jaina Sauraseni is almost on par with Apabhramsa. Pavayaṇasāra, Pañcattikaya, Chappahuḍa, Mūlācāra, Kattigeyāņupekkhā are some of the important works of Jaina Śauraseni that has influenced Kannada literature. Next comes Jaina Mahārāştri of which the main works to influence Kannada are Paumacariya of Vimalasari, commentary of Uttaräjjhayana of Devendra and Samaraicchakahā of Haribhadra (8c). The only work of Paiśaci Prakrit to influence Kannada literature is, of course that great classic of universal importance Gunadhya's Bṛhatkatha. Contribution of Yapaniya writers is also worth pondering, though Digambar Jain literature dominated in Karantaka. Entire Bhagavati Aradhana and its commentaries are the total effort and contributions of Yapaniya branch.
What remains now, towards the end of this paper is to find out whether Karnataka has also influenced Prakrit. It would be appropriate to consider this aspect of influence as mutual between Prakrit and Kannada. There are some suggestions confirming the influence of Kannada on Prakrit.