Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 80

39
independent light-literary works composed by them in Prakrit, they are mostly lost-what we are left with being but stray survivals like Gathāsaptaśati, Ravaṇavadha, Gauḍavadha. What has survived in really good measure are the Prakrit passages composed by the Brahmanical authors while writing a dramatic work; (these passages have survived precisely because they are an integral part of a dramatic work with fairly strong survival value). To this total output of Prakrit composition, available or extinct, that emanated from the Brahmanical camp is to be contrasted the corresponding performance of the Jainas. As has already been hinted, the Jainas undertook considerable theoretical discussion through the medium of Prakrit and much of it survives upto this day; similarly, they composed a vast mass of light literary works in Prakrit and much of it too survives upto this day. Hence it is that one seeking to peruse in its entirety the available Prakrit literature is bound to be overwhelmed by the preponderance of Jaina works within its body. As a matter of fact, this is one reason why Prakrit studies, in spite of their obvious numerous advantages, have made so little headway even during our times. For an average student of a modern Indian language would rather console himseif that no literary works representing an early evolutionary stage of his mother-tongue is now available rather than take the trouble of going through a Jaina text that is actually such a work. A good selection of Jaina Prakrit texts, theoretical as well as light-literary, made with a view to specially helping the non-Jaina reader is a desideratum.