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LITERATURE
185
Hari-candra, Naya-candra, Rāma-candra and Hasti-malla, who enriched the Sanskrit literature in various ways.
The cultivation of the Apabhramsa language by the Jainas dates from about the 7th century A.D., and they continued to use it as a literary vehicle till the beginning of the 16th century. Most of the best works and greatest poets of that language were Jaina, the more important names being Joindu, Caturmukha, Svayambhū, Tribhuvana Svayambhū, Puspa-danta, Rāmasimha, Deva-sena, Hema-candra, Amara-kīrti, Dhana-pāla, Kanakāmara and Raidhū. Several of them like Joindu and Rāma-simha were the precursors of Kabira and other mystic poet-saints of medieval times, and “Suyambhū”, says H.C. Bhayani,“ should be counted among those fortunate writers who achieved during their life-time recognition and literary fame that was amplified by subsequent generations. He was well known as Kavi-rāja (king of poets) during his life time;.... His name was spoken along with Catur-mukha and Bhadra, celebrated names in the field of Apabhramsa letters. He is even said to have excelled them. Whether you talk of the beauty of ideals or of expressions, whether you weigh knowledge of rhetorics, proficiency in Apabhramsa grammar or skill in handling varied metres, Svayambhū is recognised as an allround master."
The Jainas have undoubtedly been the foremost cultivators of the Kannada language from the inception of its literary history which is traced back to the 4th-5th century A.D. By the end of the 10th century, they had made it a well established literary language, though they have continued to patronise it till modern times. Professor R. Narsimhachari observes, “The earliest cultivators of the language were Jainas. The oldest works of any extent and value that have come down to us are all from the pen of the Jainas.”
