Universal Values of Prakrit Texts

Author(s): Prem Suman Jain
Publisher: Bahubali Prakrit Vidyapeeth and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

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Tumbulura, Samantabhadra, and Bappadeva are extinct now. However the 'Dhavalā' commentary by Virasena consists of 72,000 verse, available in Hindi by the great labour of Dr. H.L. Jain, the internationally reputed orientalist. Nemicandra Siddhantacakravarti abstracted from the above text, the 'Gommatasāra” (“Jivakānda' in 734 verses and ‘Karmakānda' in 972 verses). A commentary, 'Mandaprabodhini' by Abhayacandra Saiddhānti (c. 13th century A.D.) are available. There are also available, the Sanskrit commentary by Muni Nemicandra (c. 16th century A.D.) and a commentary in dhundhari by Todaramala, consisting of about 50,000 sentences. All these need furtive research in linguistics and palaeography. There is also application of mathematical logic and philosophical logic in these texts and require deeper research in the theory of sets and systems. Cosmology :
The basis of the theory of Karna has been laid down in the ‘Tiloyapannatti'? of Yativrsabha which is essentially a text on cosmogony, cosmography and autonomy, carrying details of geography also. The ‘Trilokasār's of Nemicandra Siddhāntacakravarti which details in addition to the material of the ‘Tiloyapannatti’, carious topological sequences locating fininte and transfinite sets of the theory of Karma. Thus apart from the details of the units and subsequent measures, principle theoretic approach marks the achievements of the Indians, after the period of the Vedāngajyotişa. There is a change in the terminology, in the processional map, in the names of the cities and places, sites and spots. All this can easily lead a scholar to the chronological problems of research through linguistics and mappings of the orbits of astral bodies.
It may be noted that we have detailed only the texts in Sauraseni, as the context of the great poet, Rajasekhara would have it . It appears that the above great works on the theory of Karma and cosmology, forming the source material, must have had an effective impact, not only on the people of India
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