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112
JAINA SY51LN OF EDUCATION
about thic mclle of thc 8th century AD that Sanskrit came to bc uscu (or lucrary purpose by the Jamns of both the sictainbira and the Digan, ban secus-the Sictambura began to use it in the cighth century A.D and tlic Digombana soinciliat carlicr Tlic Jaina sanskrit writers wrote in a variety of styles noted for purity and grace and in the tenth cen tury AD) they began to fill back upon tic nauunl dialects of the people In moxleri cimes the Jrına kititors quitc in larinony with the spirit of age fizic begin to composc trcatiscs in Guzcratı Taipıl hanaresc and Hindi thereby contributing to the chrichnicnt of these literatures.
Cuinmg from the manner to tlic matcr of Jaina literature we find that the Jumas much more thoroughly than thc Buddhists inasterer! Hindu ilionghits scnuments and legends and adapted them to their own usc. is for sample thic h$lia cult and thic legend of Dratipai appear in their Jaina version to the great cdification of the readers belonging 10 thc rank of thic pcoplc As an example to the point we may refer 10 lic Prakrit Epic Pauma-cariyam (Palma Carua) by pocu Vunala Suri (890 y cars after the demise of Lord Valaura)
It is to the crelil of the Jainas that they immensely contributai 10 ile In lian slock of Lnon lcdge not only m de ficlds of philosophy art religion and literature but also in the domam of secular knowledge like astronomy astrology mathematics grammar lexicography L'etics and politics
Among tlic imponant Jama mathematicians kc must mention the name of Mahavracarya ? a ninth century south Indian scholar who applied mathematics to thic study of astronomy and regarded the know laulge of illes science essential for the salvation of the soul He absorbed the scientisic ideals of the Hindu authority Brahma Gupta Hus monu mental work Ganitasár samgraha was widely appreciated in south Indra and it was translated into Telugu language Very relev ently we may insert here a modern authoritatie estimate of the contributions of these ancient korthics The 80 ailed Jama operation (page 200) is akin to 11ork found in Brahmagupia and yet none of the problems
25 Maurice linicrniz A History of Indian Literature vol II p 427 26 Ibid P59.
27 Asahávirácărya, Ganita Sára-Sangraha v by M Rangidrya, M.A., Ru Bahadur
