Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

Page 89

80
STUDIES IN JAINISM
gies. Vajjalagga of Jayavallabha contains about 700 verses grouped in topics such as poetry, friendship, fate, and poverty. It is a beautiful example of lyrical poetry in Prakrit and is almost non-sectarian. The Upadesamālā of Dharmadäsa contains 540 verses devoted to moral preaching, particularly for monks. The author is claimed to be a contemporary of Mahavira. Tradition, at any rate, shows the great reverence and high esteem that the work commands. It is certainly earlier than the ninth century when its commentary was written. Jivasamasa and Bhavabhāvanā of Maladhärin Hemacandra (twelfth century) contain more than 500 Prakrit stanzas of a didactic nature.
The essence of Jaina dialectics is found in its Nayavāda theory of view-points, and in Prakrit the Sammatitarka of Siddhasena and the Nayacakra of Devasena are the most important contributions on the subject. Jaina cosmology is very thoroughly described in the Triloka-prajñapti of Yativṛṣabha, the Trilokasara of Nemicandra, and the Jambudvipa-prajñapti of Padmanandin, all in Prakrit verse.
JAINA LITERATURE IN SANSKRIT
The language of Jaina literature was primarily the Prakrits which were prevalent amongst the people at one time or the other in different parts of the country. But Sanskrit was not altogether shunned. Amongst the Jains, the earliest work in Sanskrit devoted to religious writing is the Tattvärthadhigama-Sutra of Umāsvāmin which epitomizes the whole Jaina creed in about 375 sutras arranged in ten chapters. The work occupies a unique position in Jaina literature as it is recognized as authoritative equally by the Digambaras and the Svetämbaras with a few variations in the readings, and is very widely studied by both. It has been commented upon by the most eminent authors of both the sects. There is an old bhāṣya on it which the Svetambaras claim to be by the author of the sūtras himself. But this claim is not admitted by the Digambaras who regard the Sarvartha-siddhi-vṛtti of Pujyapada (sixth century) as the earliest commentary. Pujyapāda has made full use of the Satkhandagama-Sutra in explaining some sutras of this work.