Jain Journal 2004 01

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

Page 48

S.R. BANERJEE: UNDERSTANDING JAIN RELIGION
173
subsequently we did have some Mālāyālam literature as well. It was after the 8th century that Ādi Sankara introduced many Sanskrit words into Mālāyālam and the languages like Telugu and Kannada started having the influence of Manipravälanaya'. Tamil, however, has retained its original identity even till today, though the Sanskrit influences on Tamil can be found even now. It is this background that we need to understand the Jain religion in the South.
At a much later time, three of the Digambara writers became famous, and they were Pūjyapāda Devanandin, Samantabhadra and Akalankadeva.
Pūjyapāda Devanandin (6th cent. A.D.) wrote a commentary on Umāsvāti's Tattvārtha-sūtra, known as Sarvārtha-siddhi. Samantabhadra (600 A.D. or 8th cent. A.D.) also wrote a commentary on Umāsvāti's Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra, the introduction to which is known as Devāgama-stotra or Aptamīmanisā in which the Jainistic philosophy of Syādvāda is explained. His Yuktyanusāsana is also another philosophical work. Almost at the same time was Akalanka (10th cent. A.D.) who also wrote a commentary on the Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra, known as Tattvārtha-rāja-vārttika. He also wrote a commentary on Samantabhadra's Apto. nīmāṁsa, known as Aştašati. Akalanka is also the author of Nyāya-viniscaya, Laghiyastraya, Svarūpa-sambodhana. and Prāyaścittagrantha. Akalanka's views were opposed by Kumārila, while Vidyānanda Pātrakesarin and Prabhācandra defended Akalanka.
In this connection I would like to state the importance of the three eminent Svetāmbara Jain writers who contributed a lot to the cause of the spread of Jainism through their writings. These authors are, in a sense, pioneers in the field of Jainism. Their enormous compositions on different subjects have enriched the Jain literature to a great extent. There is a gap of nearly five hundred years from each other. They are Haribhadra, Hemacandra and Yasovijaya.
Haribhadrasūri, the most distinguished and prolific Jaina writer of the 8th century (705-775 A.D.), is credited with having written the philosophy of Anekānta first. While there were others who also wrote,