International Jain Conference 1985 3rd Conference

Author(s): Satish Jain, Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Ahimsa International

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ing glimpses of such contribution would thrill every one of us with joy as well as pride.
It was a sublime virtue and practical attitude of the Jaina teachers that wherever they moved and settled down, they adopted the language of the soil, cultivated it and used it for preaching and propagating their religious and spiritual tenets among the people of the region. This has been exactly true also of the Jaina teachers, settling at the Sravanabelagola colony, in respect of the Kannada language. They, with Prakrita as their own language, within years must have learnt the Kannada language, and gradually cultivated and improved it so as to suit for their preaching, teaching and later on, for composing literary works in it. Most of the so-called Tadbhava words in the Kannada language are none else but Prakrita words and words derived from Prakrita. Some of the early Kannada inspcriptions, literary works and after all the Apabhramsa chapter in the Sabdama. nidarpana (the most authoritative Kannada grammatical work), hold evidence to this fact.
The earliest cultivators of the Kannada language or preaching, teaching and propagating the Jaina religio-spiritual principles, further, also laid the foundation of the literary Kannada and gradually raised on it a magnificent structure. The first phase of Jaina literature in Kannada (c.600 to 700 A.D.) happens to be in the form of commentaries on the canonical works like the Satkhandagama, the Mularadhana, the Tattvartha Sutra etc., which are known by references only. Moreover, some works of scholars like Vimala, Udaya, Nagarjuna (c.700 to 800 A.D.), referred to by Nrpatunga, are not at all traceable. However the period between 900 and 1200 A.D. is specifically known as Jaina period in Kannada literature (though Jaina authors were active still later until 18th century A.D.), which also happens to be the Augustan Age of Kannada literature with numerous valuable works of varied interests. It is interesting to note that the first available Kannada work on poetics, the first one on prosody, the first one on grammar, the first classic in prose and similarly the first one in poetry are all by Jaina scholars. Moreover the volume and value of the Jaina epigraphic wealth in Kannda has its own multi-sided importance. On the whole it can be said that both in extent and range, Jaina literature in Kannada stands supreme in South India.
It is well-known that the most outstanding contribution of Jainism to art in India is in the field of iconography. And Karnataka has its own treasure of beautiful images of the Tirthankaras and the presiding deities carved on stone and metal and preserved in the Jaina temples and also in private collection. Some of the folios of palm-leaf and paper manuscripts, preserved in such collections depict excellent artistic expressions of the Jaina religious ethos.
Jaina architecture in Karnataka has its distinct specimens. The cave temples at Badami, Aihole and Candragiri are notable for their seclusion, serenity and sanctity. Then some of the Jaina temples (Basadis) at Sravanabelagola, Karkala, Mudabidire and Helebidu are known for their excellence of structural architecture.
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