Book Title: Progress of Prakrit and Jaina Studies
Author(s): Bhogilal J Sandesara
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 35
________________ 31 scholar has started a serics of articles on Apabhramsa and Old Gujarīti studies, the first one of which discussing etymology of some words has been printed.( Bhāratiya Vidyā, XVII. 3-4, published in 1959). Dr: Bhayani has also taken a bird's eye view of the main currents of Apabhiramśa literature ( VVSG). Moreover, he has published a long-stone-inscription from Dhar preserved in the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, the language of, which: can be characterised post-Apabhrarśa in a general way. It is a prose-cum-verse composition in six different dialects of different regions written most probably in the earlier part of the 13th century ( Bhāratiya Vidyā, XVII. 3-4, publish.ed in 1959). The third instalment of Apabhraíśa studies by Dr. K. De Vreese has been printed ( Journal of the American Oriental Society, LXXIX. 1, January-March 1959). Dr. Hajariprasad Dvivedi has discussed at length the meaning of some readings in the Sandeśa Rāsaka (Nāgari Pracăriņi Patrikā, LXII. I and 4, LXIII. 2). . Dr. Mata Prasad Gupta has shown that from among so-called verses of the, Pșthviraja Rāso by Canda quoted in the Purātana Prabandha Sangraha at least two are from the pen of a poet named Jahla, whose name has becn montioned at the end of those verses. On the evidence of textual transmission Dr. Gupta has surmised that the date of Canda approximates to V. S. :328 ; probability is clear that Jahla may be nearly as old a poet as Canda ( Indian Linguistics, XVII. June 1957, Taraporewala Memorial Volume). .. Though the Jainas began their literary activity with Präkrit, in course of time they attempted successfully all the forms of Sanskrit literature both creative and Sästric. To quote the words of Dr. Winternitz, “ there is scarcely a province of Indian literature in which the Jainas have not been able to hold their own. Above all they have developed a voluminous narrative literature, thcy have written cpics and novels, they have composed dramas and hymns; sometimes they have written in the simple language of the people, at other times they have competcd, in highly claborate poems, with the best masters of ornate

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55