Sanskrit Prakrit Jain Vyakaran aur Kosh ki Parampara

Author(s): Chandanmalmuni, Nathmalmuni, Others
Publisher: Kalugani Janma Shatabdi Samaroha Samiti Chapar

Page 597

Importance of Jam literature for Deśya Prakrit 105
Aryan also symbolized the end of fresh lexicographical activity in Prakrit
Before we close this brief account it is necessary to point out a third source of information about the Deśya expressions, for which all the credit goes to the Jain writers Since the period of the Cūrnis Jain writers practised a style of writing in which Prakrit was liberally interspersed with Sanskrit From about the eighth century another style becomes current in which the Sanskrit is characterized by an under current of Prakrit that becomes in course of time more and more pronounced and vigorous The narratives found in the Bhāsya, Carīta, Dharmakathā, Kāvya and Prabandha literature of the Jainas are composed in a peculiar kind of Sanskrit, called Jain Sanskrit, which contains numerous Prakrit (and later on, New Indo-Aryan) words, expressions and idioms in a Sanskritic garb Upamıtıbhayaprapancakatha of Siddharşı, the canonical commentaries of Abhayadeva and others, Hemcandra's Trisastišalākāpuruşacarita, Harişena's Bihatkathakosa and the Prabandha's Merutunga, Rājasekhara and others are the typical examples
Some of these texts have been already studied from this point of view, but the literature being vast much remains still to be done
It is hoped that even this sketching account would not fail to impress upon the readers the great value of Jain writings for the study of the Desya words and hence for the history of middle and New Indo-Aryan This field of study has unfortunately attracted very few scholars So long as this area is not fully explored, we cannot hope to full large gaps in the history of Indo-Aryan,