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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
supplies us this important information. Moreover, this work, being on rhetoric, naturally presupposes earlier forms of literature. The late Mahāmahopadhyaya R. Narasimhachar evaluates the Jaina hold on the Kannada language and literature in the following words: “The carlicst cultivators of Kannada language were Jainas. The oldest workers of any extent and value that have come down to us are all from the pen of the Jainas. The period of Jaina predominance in the literary field may justly be called the Augustan Age of Kannada literature. Jaina authors in Kannada are far more numerous than in Tamil. . . . . Besides Kavyas written by Jaina authors, we have numerous works by thcm dealing with subjects such as grammer, rhetoric, prosody, mathematics, astrology, medicine, veterinary science, cookery and so forth. Alogether the number of Jaina authors in Kannada is nearly two hundred."
During the 10th cent. A.D., which happened to be a period of considerable literary activity of high quality for the Jaina scholars in different languages, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada, there flourished a Kannada author, the grcat Camundarāya, who got the world-famous colossal image of Bahubali cut into the hillock at Sravanabelgola. He was minister and general under the Ganga rulers between 961-984 A.D. The celebrated Ajitasena was his preceptor and he was a close disciple of Acārya Nemicandra, known as the Siddhānta-Cakravartin (Spiritual Monarch, who conquered the continents of Scripture). Cāmundarāya was a very interesting personality. Besides his being a brave general and trusted minister, he was second only to his preceptor, King Rācamalla, in encouraging the Jaina Faith.? Among his numerous honourific titles, ‘gunaratnabhușana' and ’kavijanasekhara deserve special mention in this context. He was also patron of the eminent Kannada poet Ranna. In the words of Dr.Saletore, “A braver soldier, a more devout Jaina, and a more honest man than Cāmundaraya Karnatak had never seen."
This great Cāmundarāya composed his Cāvundaraya Purana in 978 A.D. Among the so far available works, it is supposed
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