Jinamanjari 1995 09 No 12

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

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This is a glowing tribute to the glory of Prakrit literature by making a casual but very effective statement at an approprite time and place. This is just a spontaneous outburst of poets' unprejudiced attitude and appreciation towards another language which has influenced him and his writing. I do not think that there can be a better compliment or testimony io Prakrit literature than this unique statement. It is interesting to note further more that Nemicandra has also composed four gahas and used them in his two kavyas.
Bandhuvarma (1150 A.D.) makes use of Barasaanuvekkha and some Kathakosa's works in his Jivasambodhane. Nagavarma (990 A.D.) has derived inspiration from Svayambhu Chandas (9 A.D.) for his Chandombudhi. A number of Vratakathas in Kannada are highly indebted to Prakrit sources. There are some independent kavyas depicting the story of Nagakumara and the direct source is Mahakavi Puspadanta's Nayakumara-Cariu. Andayya (12th century) has used good number of tadbhava forms and some of them are from Prakrit. There are a number of commentaries on pro-canonical literature Baraha Anuvekkha, Dasabhakti, Paranatinaprakasa, Karma Prakriti-Prabhrta, Ksapanasara, Gommatasara, Rayanasara, etc. Kesavavarni (1359 A.D.) Bahubalisiddhanta Vrati (14th century), Adhyatmi Balacandra (1170 A.D.), Balacandra Pandita (1273 A.D.) Padmaprabha (1300 A.D.) Prabhacandra (1300 A.D.) and other commentators have done their hest to pass on Prakrit works to Kannada literature. Poet Vijayanna's (1448 A.D.) Dvadasanuprekse is again based on Prakrit sources.
Till to-day the origin of campu remains an enigma. some scholars attributing it 10 Prakrit sources. There is another form of prose writing in Kannada called 'bolli': Panca-Paramesthigala-Bolli (BalacandraPandita 1273 A.D.). Is a borrowing from Prakrit Bollia. Maghanandi (1250 A.D.) author of about four works, has used 647 gahas in his magnamopus Padarthasara. Siribhuvalaya of Kumudendu (15th century) is a unique work in any language and has mentioned the names of Prakrit works and authors.
Prakrit enjoyed the royal patronage in Karnataka first under Satavananas. Later, Prakrit found its patron in Gangas and Rastrakutas. When Gangas vanquished and the Rastrakuta capital city Manyakheta
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