Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 43

The Jains through Time
observances and is regarded as the foundation of all Tamil literature. To this day it is a pillar of light to anthropologists and cultural historians concerned with the development of Tamil society, culture and mores.
The Abundance of Jain Literature in the Languages of South India The true impact of Jainism's contribution to South Indian culture cannot just be described in a few pages. Even if I gloss over its contribution to South Indian art and architecture, the enrichment of Tamil and Kannad literature alone is immense. The famous Jain scholar Pandit Kailash Chandra Shastri writes that Tamil and Kannad literature are greatly indebted to the Jains who were incomparable writers, aesthetes and scholars 's. In fact Jains were the originators of the classical literature of South India. Modern Tamil still uses many words of Sanskrit origin introduced by the Jains who were careful to transform the Sanskrit words in accordance with the rules of Tamil phonetics so as to preserve the consonance and harmony of the language.
Another great book of Tamil literature was Tiruvallavara's Kural. Though there is still a debate about the author's religion and the date of the writing, its greatness remains undisputed. Many latter-day historians agree that the Kural was written by a Jain scholar. My present purpose, however, is not to join in the debate but to highlight the beautiful and inspiring way the Jains disseminated their ethical and moral values. Dedicated to the welfare of the people and embracing the pluralism of the country, Jain acharyas learnt to write books in complicated languages to such good effect that their works were sometimes credited to local authors! The purpose behind their writings was that Jain ideas should not remain confined to any one community but be available for all.
It is believed that the Tolakappiyam, the oldest grammar book in the Tamil language, was written by Jain grammarian Tolakappiya. Though it is largely a treatise on the study of language, it's also a treasure- trove of ancient Tamil customs and
Dakshin Bhan Mein Jain Dhunna, Pr. Kailash Chandra Shastri, p.25