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Chapter-II
HISTORY OF JAINA LITERATURE
Ancient Indian Literature was composed mainly in three languages, i.e., Samskrita, Pāli and Prakrta. Out of these three Pāli is nothing but a shade of Prakrta language. A literary language, Prakrta, being a group of various local dialects as Māgadhi, Pāli, Paisaci, Sauraseni, Maharashtri was never developed as a single language but as a group of languages. Various types of Apabhramsa were also developed from Prakrta. 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 Samskrita while the Jaina canonical and Buddhist literature is in Prakrta and Pāli, respectively. So far as the Jaina religious literature of early period is concerned, is was mainly written in Prakrta known as Prakrta canons. Jainas started writing from c. 3rd 4th A. D. in Samskrta but notably these Samskrta works are based on Prakrta works whether as an independent or in the form of commentaries.
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 the canonical literature belongs to this period, though their final editing and writing on palm-leaves belong to c. 5th A. D. among Svetambara canons, except the Nandisātra and the later edition of Praśnavyākarāna, most works were composed before the c. 3rd A. D. No doubt, some interpolations and changes did take place therein at the time of Vallabhi Council, yet they are clearly traceable. It would be a great mistake if on account of these interpolations and changes the whole of the Āgamas are regarded as
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