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Works on anuprekşā in Kannada Literature
Sri Shubha Chandra
जिनधर्मावासमादत्तु अमळ विनयदागारमादत्तु पद्मासननि"पद्ममादत्तु
अतिविशद यशोधाममादत्त विद्याधन जन्मस्थानमादत्तु असमतरळगंभोर सद्गेहमादत्तु एनिसल्के इंतुळ्ळ नाना महिमेयोळेसेगुं चारु कर्णाटदेशं ।।
This is a Kannada inscription which says about the distinguished qualities of Karņāța Country.
It was an abode of the Jina-Dharma, It was a mine of pure discipline, It was the temple of one who is in Padmasana It was the dwelling place of fame which is exceedingly bright, It was the birth place of lore and wealth, It was the worthy house of matchless splendid dignity, Thus distinguished in various glories was the beautiful Karņāta
country.
According to this inscription the very first greatness of Karnāțaka is that it was an abode of Jina-Dharma. I think, this single inscription is enough for us to give a clear picture of Jainism in Karnāțaka. It is quite natural that Jainas wrote in Kannada because Karnāțaka was the birth place of lore as we know from the above inscription. Jainas contribution to Kannada literature is very rich both in quality and quantity. "The earliest cultivators of Kannada language for literary purpose were Jainas. The oldest works of any extent and value that have come down to us are all from the pen of the Jainas. The period of Jaina predominance in the literary field may justly be called the Augustan Age of Kannada literature. The beauty and the high polish of the Kannada language are almost entirely due to the Jaina authors of an earlier period
1. Epigraphia carnatica, Vol. VIII, Soraba No. 261
परिसंवाद-४
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