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TULASI-PRAJNA, Oct. -December, 1991
There are of course several examples of such attempts in the history of Jaina literature for example, the author of the Kannada Vadḍārädhane, the earliest available Jaina classic in prose (c. 925 A. D.) even though a monk has profusely drawn upon a number of Brahmanical works o fvarious strata to make his classic comprehensive and well-constituted. Then one may ask, can a pious householder (like Valluvar) possess such deep scholarship? Yes, Pandit Āśādbara (1300 A. D.), who composed notable works like the Sāgāra-dharmamṛta-the Nectar of Ethical Discipline for the Householder and the Anagara-dharmamṛta-the Nectar of the Ethical Discipline for the monk, was a householder. Pandit Todarmal (close of 18th cent. and beginning of 19th cent. A.D.), who was a pious householder and who lived almost like a sage, has to his credit learned commentaries on ancient Prakrit and Sanskrit works and also an original work entitled Mokṣamārga-Prakāśaka, which is a proud possession of every personal and public library for the pious-minded in North India.
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To conclude Tiruvalluvar, the author of the Tirukkural, the great Tamil classic, was an erudite Jain householder and poet of exceptional ability. He was a close disciple of a Jaina Sage of the rank of Elācārya and also had developed in himself ecletic attitude and catholic spirit. All these factors have influenced in shaping the plan, design, contents and spirit of his Tirukkural, which is rightly acclaimed as a world classic.
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kural, English Translation and Notes, by C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1968.
Tirukkural, Hindi Translation by Pt. Govind Ray Jain, pub. Kundakunda Bharati, New Delhi, 1988.
Tirukkural, Kannada Translation by Pradhan Gurudatta, Shri siddhantakirti Granthamälä, Jain math, Hombuj, 1989.
Tirukkural (Part I) with original Tamil Text, Kannada Tr. Paraphrase and Notes. by Frof. L. Gundappa, Bangalore, 1960.
Tirukkural (Thirumati Sornamal Endowment Lectures), part I (English), University of Madras, Madras, 1972.
(i) Philosophy of Tiruvalluvar, Lecture by Prof. T. P. Meenaxisundaram.
(ii) The Ethics of the Tirukkural, Lecture by Prof. V. A. Devasena
pathi.
Jain Literature in Tamil, Prof. A. Chakravarti Nayanar, Jain Siddhant Bhavan, Arrah, 1941.
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