Jaina Literature in Tamil

Author(s): A Chakravarti, K V Ramesh
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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ardent followers of Saivism, were not inclined to actively support the cause of Jainism. It may, therefore, be concluded that from the 10th century onwards Jainism lost its importance in the Tamil country after having thrived as a great vehicle of faith and knowledge for centuries at a stretch. Nevertheless, as one scholar has rightly pointed out', even during the period of it decadence, Jainism retained its intellectual vitality as is borne out by the composition of many books on grammar, lexicon and astronomy besides the Jivakacintamaņi, which made its appearance sometime after the 8th century A.D.; and Pavaṇandi's Nannūl was composed in the 13th century A.D. The occurrence of Jaina epigraphs right down to the 16th century. A.D. at Tirupparuttikkunram, popularly known as Jinakāñcī also attests to the fact that Jainism continued to be a religious force to reckon with atleast in some pockets in Tamilnāļu for long after its overall popularity had waned.
In attempting to delineate briefly the chequered history of Jainism in Tamilnāļu from the sixth century onwards, culling out and interpreting the information that is available from Jaina epigraphs, most of which find place in the appendix appearing at the end of this work, one can do no better than quote K.R. Venkatarama Ayyar.
“The vitality of Jainism was not exhausted, Saiva and Vaisnava opposition notwithstanding. Jaina
1. M.S. Ramswami Ayngar: Op. cit., p. 73. 2. TASSI., 1957-58pp. 25-28.