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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
279
to be the first prose composition in Kannada and an “excellent specimen' of the period. It is also known as Trisastilaksana-mahapurāna and gives accounts of the 24 Tirthankaras and other great personages of the Jaina hagiology. In the introductory part of the work, the author states that this work was first written by Kūcibhattaraka and the same subject was handled later by. a galaxy of great teachers like Śrīnandi, Kaviparameśvara, Jinasena, Gunabhadra etc. and that the same work he composed in Kannada for the benefit of the liberable souls at large. Only a portion of Adipuräna has so far been published, first in 1918 and, then, revised in 1928.2 I propose to present in this paper some observations mainly regarding the Prakritic influence on the language of this part of the published
text.
Camundarāya, as noted above, was a devout Jaina and a close disciple of Acārya Nemicandra whose five works in Prakrit (viz., Jaina Sauraseni), particularly the Dravya Sangraha and the Gommatasara, stand in high esteem and reverence among the pious Jainas even today. Gommaļasāra is said to have been composed for explaining the essence of the Jaina doctrine to Cāmundarāya. Moreover, when the Gommatasāra was being composed by his guru, Camundaraya prepared on it a Kannada Coinmentary called Viramattaṁdī,l4 which, unfortunately, has not come down to us. All these points undoubtedly go to indicate that Camundarāya had at least some working knowledge of, though not high proficiency in, the Prakrits. Therefore, it is quite natural if his Kannada composition has been influenced by them.
Though the Cāvumdarāya Purana contains some rare ancient Kannada words like tottu (66.1), maralumdu (p.107-20), verbal forms like padedom (p.36.11), adom (p.36.15)16 and expressions in native words, like 'sattam puttam kottam kettam' (p.19.11) etc.,
its language, on the whole, is highly Sanskrit-ridden. One of the Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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