Jain System in Nutshell

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Nij Gyan Sagar Shiksha Kosh Santa MP

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literature in different ages. This is the treasure of India as a whole. This literature bears the stamp of Jainism with its moral propagating objective directly or indirectly.
A large amount of literature has been written by ascetics who have served their socio-religious duties. This is voluminous which is clear from the number and variety of Jain manuscript libraries found in different parts of india. It has been composed in languages of the time upholding Mahavira's ideal of communicating in public languages.
The most voluminous literature belongs to the first and third categories. Most of the canonical scriptures forms a mixture of these categories. Besides, the chief disciples and elder monks who composed the three groups of scriptures, Bhadrabahu's name is the earliest who was instrumental not only in nucleating sky-clad sect but writing large amount of books under religious category. Pushpdant and Bhutbali, Gunbhadra, Kundkund, Umaswati, Samantbhadra, Virsen, Battker, Shivary, Swami Kartikeya, Amritchandra, Ashadhar and others are the Digambara monk scholars who have contributed specially to the third category. Among the Svetambara scholars, Shayyambhav, Shyama Arya. Jinbhadra, Jindas, Haribhadra, Shilank, Abhaydev, Hemchandra, Yashovijaya Gani and others are the torch bearers in this field. They contributed between prechristian era to eighteenth century AD.
The scriptural, texts contain a large amount of legendary and other story literature. Besides, Gunadhya, Vimal suri, Sanghdas, Haribhadra, Svayanbhu, Udyotansuri, Jinsen, Gunbhadra, Pump, Ponna, Ranna, Ratnakar, Pushpdant, Viranndi, Harishen, Mallishen, Vadivsingh, Hemchandra, Meghvijay are the luminaries who have enriched epics, poetics, prose-cum-poetics, biographies, legends and religious stories concerned with 63-148 torch bearers of the Jain order. These aim at ethical upliftment of the votaries. This is a voluminous category.
This category must involve grammar, rheoteric, prosody and lexicology where a large contribution has been made by Jain scholars like Pujyapad, Shakatayan, Katantra, Hemchandra, Buddhisagar, Bagbhat, Dhananjay, Dharsen and others.
This category should also include a special type of miscelleneous literature containing hymns and eulogy, rituals, offerings and consecrationals. Bhadrabahu, Mantung, Vadiraj, Basunandi and others have played miracles through their metrical eulogies which have glorified Jainism under different kings in different periods.
It must be pointed out that a large number of these Jain monk-scholars were patronised by different kings due to their literary excellence and ascetic beauty. This dual qualification served illumination
of Jainism among the public. The names of Jain scholars authoring in