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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
chapter in the Sabdamanidarpana (the most authoritative Kannada grammatical work), hold evidence to this fact.
The carliest cultivators of the Kannada language for preaching, teaching and propagating the Jaina religio-spiritual principles, further, also laid the foundation of the literary Kannada and gradually raised on it a magnificent structure. The first phase of Jaina literature in Kannada (c. 600 to 700 A.D.) happens 10 be in the form of commentaries on the canonical works like the Satkhandāgama, the Mularadhanā, the Tattvärtha Sutra elc., which are known by references only. Moreover some works of scholars like Vimala, Udaya, Nagarjuna (c. 700 to 800 A.D.), referred to by Nịpatunga, are not at all traccable. However the period between 900 and 1200 A.D. is specifically known as Jaina period in Kannada literature (1hough Jaina authors were active stilt later until 18th cont.A.D.), which also happens to be the Augustan Age of Kannada literature with numerous valuable works of varied inicrests. It is interesting to note that the first available Kannada work on poetics, the first one on presody, the first one on grammer, the first classic in prose and similarly the first one in poetry are all by Jaina scholars. Moreover the volume and value of the Jaina epigraphic wealth in Kannada has its own multi-sided importance. On the whole it can be said that both in cxtent and range, Jaina literature in Kannada stands supreme in South India.
It is well known that the most outstanding contribution of Jainism to art in India is in the field of iconography. And Karnataka has its own trcasure of beautiful images of the Tirthankaras and the presiding deities carved on stone and metal and preserved in the Jaina temples and also in private collections. Some of the metal placques, folios of palm-lcal and paper manuscipts, preserved in such collections, depict excellent artistic expressions of the Jaina religious ethos.
Jaina architecture in Karnataka has its distinct specimens. The cave temples at Badāmi, Aihole and Candragiri arc notable for their seclusion, serenity and sanctity. Then some of the Jaina
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