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The social, religious and literary background
The establishment of the Dravida Sanga in South India is a definite landmark in the introduction of Jainism into Tamil land. In a Jaina religious work, Digambara Darjanasara which was obtained from Anhilwäd Patan, Devasenea (A.D. 853), the author of the work, states that in the year A.D. 470 (525 Vikrama Saka) Vajranandi, the pupil of Pajyapada founded the Dravida sanga in Mathura of the Deccan. 1 S. R. Ayyangar and B.S. Rao, in their work "Studies in South Indian Jainism" point out that the same source also reveals that the sanga was an association of Digambar Jains who migrated to the south with the view of spreading Jainism. This sanga consisted of four divisions, Nandi-ganam, fena-ganam, Sipha-ganam, and Deva-gapam. From the above evidence it is clear that Jainism had a place in Tamil land in the fifth century A.D. Apart from this evidence we have mainly to rely on Tamil literature to deduce the position of Jainism in Tamil . nd.
The Jains and Buddhist who came to Tamil land, unlike Aryan brahmins, mixed freely with the common people. Though the religious rituals, mythological stories and social behaviour of brahmins attracted the Tamil kings and the people, the religious books of the brahmins-the sacred Vedas-were never accessible to the layman. They were considered sacred and the common mass remained in ignorance of the teachings of Vedas. This attitude towards religious doctrines did not exist among Jains. "They believed" as Winternitz says, that "[their]... religion [is] not only for human beings of all races and classes but even for animals, gods and denizans of hell". They always ensured that their religious doctrines and literary works were accessible to the people. It is because of their desire to share their knowledge that they wrote their canonical writings and earliest commentaries in Prakrit dialects (Ardhamagadhi and Maharaṣṭri).4 But in the seventh and eighth centuries A.D. most of the works were written in Sanskrit. When the Jains came to Tamil land they made none of their religious writings unavailable to the layman. The Jains learned Tamil and their religious teachings were imparted in Tamil. This approach in introducing their religion served to attract people towards Jainism and led to the acquisition of royal support and patronage. Though the Buddhists who came to Tamil land were as eager as the Jains in propagating their religion, it cannot be denied that the Jains have had a greater share in Tamil cultural and literary evolution.
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Most of the literary works which came into being between the end of the Cankam period and the Pallava reign, except the Cilappatikaram and the Manimekalai, were didactic in nature. They are classified as the collection Patinepkilkkrpakku, (eighteen minor works). Of these, the Nalatiyar, the Palamoli naturu, the Cirupancamalam, and the Elati are Jain works. The progresssively increasing influence of Sanskrit can be seen in these Patioenkilkkanakku works. In the Jain works a great number of Sanskrit
1 Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Bombay, Vol. XVII, No. XLIV, Peter Petersons's report on the search for Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Bombay circle, p. 74.
2 S. R. Ayyangar and B. S. Rao, Studies in South Indian Jainism, Madras, 1922, p. 52.
3 M. Winternitz, A History of Indian Literature, Calcutta, 1933, Vol. II, p. 425.
4 M. Winternitz, op. cit., p. 427
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