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Jaina Ethics and Miscellaneous Customs and Manners
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There are no particular ornaments of the Jainas. They wear the ornaments which are commonly used by the people of the region. As the Jainas are a comparatively rich community and as they deal in gold, jewels and precious stones, they put on various kinds of ornaments. Like other women, Jaina women also are more fond of ornaments than men. In ancient Jaina literature fourteen kinds of ornaments are mentioned. 258
17. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE The Jainas have no particular language of their own like the Muslims, Sikhs and other minority community members. The Jainas always use the language of the region. As the Jainas are distributed throughout the length and breadth of India and are staying there for hundreds of years, they not only use various languages but have successfully contributed to the growth of these languages.259 Lord Māhavīra preached in Ardhamāgadhi language and many ancient sacred books are written in that language. Naturally Ardhamāgadhi is more dear to Jainas and to understand their. sacred texts, they learn that language. Later, many Jaina works were written in Sanskrit and therefore Jainas show equal respect to Sanskrit also. It is asserted that the Jaina literature was responsible for giving birth to the Hindi language and that the Jainas- have enriched it from time to time.260 Gujarātha is the stronghold of Jainas at present and even in the past they wielded an enormous influence on all activities of Gujaratha. Gujarātī, therefore, claims more Jaina adherents than any other language . and the Jainas have, in proportion to their number, taken a large share in enriching the language and literature of Guja Strangely enough Mahārāshtra does not figure prominently in the history of Jainism in India and as a result could not contribute much to Marāthī language. Marāthī Jaina literature is comparatively very recent and much of it is adopted from other languages.262 The Marāthī literature itself did not exist before the tenth century A. D. and in fact it is suggested that the main reason for no output of Marāthī literature before the 10th century A. D. is that Jainism was not strong in Mahārāshtra. If Jainism would have flourished in Mahārāshtra, it would have given an impetus to the Marāthi literature as it so ably did in case of Kannada literature.263 It may, however, be noted that the earliest compo
