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Studies in Jainotegy, Prakrit
233
“Asagu mahakai jem sumanoharu Virajinindacariu kilu sundaru Kettiya kahami sukai guna āyara Jem kavva jahim viraiya sundara.
Now thcrc are some scholars who are known by references only and who are said to have composed works both in Kannada and Prakrit and also in Sanskrit. Unfortunately these works are not extant. Tumbalurācarya or Śrīvardhadeva (c.650 A.D.) was an authority on the Siddhānta and wrote in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada the volumihous Cūdamani Commentary on the Tattvārtha-mahasastra.'s Śyamakundacarya (c.600 A.D.) composed a Prabhrta in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada.' Bhrajisnu wrote a huge Kannada Commentary on the Aradhanā!? (The Bhagavati Aradhanā or Mulāradhana) on which Ramacandra Mumuksu based his Sanskrit Punyāsrava Kathākosa. All these works must be having the influence ot the concerned branches of Prakrit literature.
Then there are some interesting self-reputed titles of scholars that indicate the possible Prakrit literary influence on thcir respective works ; Balacandramuni (c. 1770 A.D.) is known as “Samasta Saiddhantika Cakravarti”, 18 Nemicandra (c. 1770 A.D.) as 'Caturbhāsa Kavi Cakravarti',"' Subhacandra (c.1200 A.D.) as Sadbhāsa Cakravarti:20, Māghanandi (c.1253 A.D.) as 'Caturānuyogakusāla' and 'Siddhāntābdhi-vardhana-sudhākara:21 and Keśavavarni (c. 1319) as "Sāratrayavedi.22
A peculiar phase of influence of Prakrit literature on Kannada literature can be seen in the production of several Kannada Commentaries on Prakrit (Jaina) works. Unfortunately almost all such Commentaries, except a few are still in manuscript form. The following Commentaries on the respective Prakrit works would give us an idea of the extent of interest of Kannads scholars in Prakrit literature.23
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