________________
314
37
Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
KARNATAK AND JAINA SAURASENI LITERATURE
In the introductory part of his Medieval Jainism1 Dr.B.A.Saletore records a South Indian tradition in the following words: "The advent of Jainism into Karnatak, and, therefore, into South India, is connected with the immigration of the Jainas under their celebrated leader Bhadrabahu, the last of the great Śrutakevalis and his desciple the Maurya Emperor Candragupta" And I may add here that with the immigration of the Jaina Sangha into Karnatak is connected the sowing of the seed of the socalled Jaina Šauraseni literature, the major part of which was produced in the Karnatak region itself, and which prominently influenced and shaped the Kannada literature in its early and medieval period.
The Jaina Sangha, that most probably built their first colony at Śravanabelgola, no doubt spoke some Prakrit dialect; but we have no evidence to say definitely what its nature was. But this much appears to be naturally possible that soon after their immigration into Karnatak they learnt the Kannada language, gradually cultivated it, enriched it by lending Prakrit words for expressing abstract and religious ideas, laid the foundation of literary Kannada and built a grand structure on it. Besides, for centuries together they continued to be the intellectual custodians of the land. Regarding the immigration of the Jaina Sangha and their spoken language, Dr.Nemichandra Shastri holds that the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
