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His Pañcāstikaya and Pravacanasāra are systematic expositions of Jaina Ontology and epistemology and his Samayasara is full of spiritual fervour. Yativrşabha's TiloyaPannatti covers a wide range of topics and has served the purpose of a source book. The compilation or composition of all these works based on traditional material, might be assigned to the early centuries of the Christian era.
A good deal of Prakrit Literature has grown round the canon itself by way of explanation, detailed exposition, illustration through tales and topical systematisation. On some canonical texts there are the Niryuktis, a sort of metrical commentaries which explain the topics by instituting various enquiries. They are attributed to Bhadrabahu and are undoubtedly anterior to Devarddhi's council. Some of them in turn, on account of their systematic exposition, accuracy of details and solidity of arguments became the object of learned labours of great scholars. For instance Jinabhadra kdamāśramana (609 A.D.) wrote highly elaborate Bhāşya in Prakrit on the Āvaşyaka Niryukti round which has grown a little world of literature. Bhasya and Cūrni commentaries are found on some works. Bhāsya is an elaborate exposition, at times incorporating and supplementing the Niryukti verses of the text in prakrit, while Cūrņi is a prose gloss written in a bewildering admixture of prakrit and sanskrit.
This, in brief, is the contribution of Prakrit to Jaina Canonnical literature.
Jain Education International 2010_03
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