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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
Samayasāra, which forms the most important work of the trio of his valuable ones i.e., the Ratnatraya, and the subject matter of which is unique in the whole range of the Jaina literature."
A peculiarity of all these works of Ācārya Kundakunda is that they are all in Prakrit viz., Jaina Śaurasení to which language, subsequent to the composition of the Satkhandāgama sutras, he gave a special literary status that was honoured and adopted by other authors even in far later days. Hence, these texts of this eminent teacher may be said to have been the earliest available literary works of Karnatak. As we know Puspadanta and Bhutabali composed the sūtras of the Satkhandāgama in the days prior to Kundakundacārya i.e., c. 1st century A.D. But we have no evidence to show that these scholar monks belonged to Karnatak. As per the message of Dharasenācārya in Girinagara, Puşpadanta and Bhutabali were deputed from Mahimānagari situated in the Andhra country. After receiving the sacred knowledge from the great seer, Puspadanta is said to have returned to Banavāsi from where he sent, through Jinapalita, his 177 sūtras on Satparūvanā to Bhūtabali who had already gone to the Tamil country. Thus at the most, the 177 sūtras of Sātparūvanā seem to have been composed at Banavasi by Puspadanta of whose domicile we have no clear idea. Therefore we can say that Acarya Kundakunda is the earliest known and great literary figure of Karnatak.
Now the question arises whether Kundakundacarya attempted to use Kannada too as his literary medium? Our consideration of his age, particularly as a preceptor and author, i.e., the latter half of the 2nd century A.D., would indicate that such an attempt on the part of this distinguished teacher was not possible. Possibly he might have used the Kannada language for some of his sermons meant for the masses. Because during this period the Kannada language, no doubt, existed; but the process of having a script for itself was still going on. This process appears to have been complete by the close of 3rd century A.D. 13
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