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add to our knowledge of our ancient literature of India. Of the Prakrita Kavyas, many are lost to us. Amongst the existing ones, Paumachariya by Vimalasuri deserves special mention, as it happens to be one of the oldest Prakrita epics. Vasudevahindi, a work divided in three volumes also deserves to be mentioned in this connection. It has also a historical value in its own direction. The Jainas huve also co!ltributed their share in the sphere of dramas 1 Their works on fiction with the paraphernalia of ancient and medieval life generally written with a view to illustrate the dogmatic or moral principles are numerous. Some of the narratives are very extensive and are written in a more popular style, as Ilaribhadra's Samaraichchakaha Samaraditya-katha ) and Siddharshi's great allegorical work Upamiti-bhava-prapanchakatha. Some of them are written in highly artificial Sanskrit as Somadeva's Yas astilaka and Dhanapala's Tilaka-manjari. In connection with the Jaina narrative literature it is truly said by Dr. Johannes Hertel that " with respect to its narrative part, it bolds a prominent position not only in the Indian literature but in the literature of mankind.”
I shall now refer to the thoughts expressed in connection with the Jaina literature by late Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Satischandra Vidyabhusan at the Syadvada Jaina Mahotsava, Kasi. There he said, " The Jaina literature was in the beginning purely
1 Raghuvilapa, Raghavabhyudaya, Nalavilusa, and Mohaparajaya- nataka aro some of them,
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