Jaina Literature From Eearliest Time To C 10th AD

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Jaina_Literature_and_Philosophy_a_Critical_Approach_001936_HR.pdf

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Jaina Literature [ From Earliest Time to c. 10th A. D. J
Jaina Literature of Early Period
Ancient Indian Literature was composed mainly in three languages, i.e., Samskṛta, Pāli and Prakṛta. Out of these three Pali is nothing but a shade of Prakṛta language. As a literary language, Prakṛta, being a group of various local dialects as Mägadhi, Pali, Paisaci. Sauraseni, Mahārāştri, was never developed as a single language but as a group of languages. Various types of Apabhramśa were also developed from Prākṛta. Its various shades developed according to their different places and time. If we consider these three main languages from religious point of view, all the Vedic religious literature is found in Samskṛta while the Jaina canonical and Buddhist literature is in Prakṛta and Pali, respectively. So far as the Jaina religious literature of early period is concerned, it was mainly written in Präkṛta known as Prākṛta canons. Jainas started writing from c. 3rd-4th A. D. in Samskṛta but notably these Samskṛta works are based on Prakṛta works whether as an independent or in the form of commentaries.
the canonical literature belongs to this period, though their final editing and writing on palm-leaves belong to c. 5th A. D. Among Śvetämbara canons, except the Nandisūtra and the later edition of Praśnavyākaraṇa, most works were composed before the c. 3rd A. D. No doubt, some interpolations and changes did take place therein at the time of Valabhi Council yet they are clearly traceable. It would be a great mistake if on account of these interpolations and changes the whole of the Agamas are regarded as posterior. Although most of the works of this period contain the religious preachings with some popular parables and stories as well as religious code of conduct, certain works deal with Jaina cosmology, metaphysics, Karma philosophy and theory of knowledge also. The list of canonical literature is, for the first time, found in Nandisūtra (c. 5th A. D. ). If we accept Nandisutra as a work of c. 5th A. D., all the works referred to ir Nandisutra belong to a date prior to it. But they all were not composed in a single spur of moment. All the canonical works, it seems are composed in during c. 5th B. C. to c. 4th-5th A. D., i.e., within one thousand years. The works mentioned in the Nandisutra are the following:
So far as the Jaina literature (of early period) prior to c. 3rd A. D. is concerned, barring few of the early philosophical and literary treatises, it is mainly confined to the canonical literature only. Majority of