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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
of unknown scholars.32
Apart from the creation of such dogmatical, religious and cosmographical works in Kannada, narrative works like the Vaddaradhane are based on similar works in the Jaina Sauraseni viz., Mūlāradhana, Aradhana Tikā etc. Moreover several Kannada authors of the Puranas, Caritas, Kathās etc., must have drawn upon the Jaina Sauraseni works like Pavayanasara, Dravyasangaha, Tiloyapannatti, Mulacara, Mularadhana etc, to make their literary pieces perfect and fine.
Thus the Jaina monks and scholars that immigrated into Karnataka, at the beginning composed their works in their own language viz the Jaina Saurasen, brought the native language to the literary level by cultivating it and finally merged their literary genius, together with themselves, into the general culture of the land of their adoption which they loved as their own, which fact is lucidly reflected in the famous Kuppatur Inscription of 1408 A.D.33
319
"Among the many beautiful countries it (the Bharatakhanda) contained, an abode of the Jina-dharma, a mine of good discipline like the dwelling of the Padmasena (Brahma), having acquired great fame, the birth place of learning and wealth, the home of unequalled splendid earnestness, thus disinguished in many ways was the lovely Karnatak Country".
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