Karnataka Jain Sahtiyachi Prachin Parampara

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Karnataka Jain Sahtiyachi Prachin Parampara" (The Ancient Tradition of Karnataka Jain Literature) by Vardhaman Parshwanath Shastri, in English:

This text, authored by Shri Vidyavachaspati Pt. Vardhaman P. Shastri Vidyalankar, delves into the rich and ancient tradition of Jain literature in the Karnataka region of India. It highlights how Jain scholars and patrons have consistently contributed to the preservation and development of Jain culture and literature in Karnataka. The author emphasizes that Jain people are still present in large numbers in Karnataka, contributing significantly to archaeology, literature, and architecture, with their presence astonishing the world.

The author points to prominent Jain landmarks in Karnataka, such as the colossal statue of Bhagavan Bahubali, the artistic Somnath Temple in Belur, the impressive Shantinath Temple in Halebid, the 'Navaratna' (nine jewels) idol in Moodbidri, and the Tribhuvanatilaka Chudamani Basadi. These sites are not only tourist attractions but also emblems of Karnataka's unique identity, and the preservation of significant Jain texts like the Shatkhandagama is largely attributed to the faith of the people in this region.

The tradition of Jain literature in Karnataka is traced back to ancient times. While a traditional belief attributes the creation of the Kannada script to Brahmi, the daughter of the first Tirthankara, Lord Adinath, the author focuses on the historical antiquity of this literary tradition. Through the study of numerous texts, it's established that Jain authors were active in the ancient Acharya period, and it is the Jain writers who deserve the primary credit for the genesis of Karnataka literature. The author asserts that there is no disagreement in the literary world today regarding this, and Jain literature in Karnataka holds a premier position not only in terms of age but also in the presentation of subjects and elegant style. Consequently, Jain literary works are now included in the curricula of many universities, and scholars from other faiths have highly praised them.

During ancient times, these literary artists received royal patronage from dynasties such as the Ganga, Pallava, Rashtrakuta, and Hoysala. This support fostered significant literary output, which, in turn, provided strength and guidance to these rulers in managing their kingdoms.

The Rashtrakuta ruler Nrupatunga, who reigned in the 9th century, composed the Kavirajamarga. This work serves as a mirror to Karnataka literature and suggests that literary composition in Karnataka predates Nrupatunga. Before him, literature was produced in Old Kannada, known as Hale Kannada. Kavirajamarga mentions several Hale Kannada poetic styles and refers to ancient poets like Shri Vijaya, Kavi Paramashvara, and Panditachandra. Similarly, the great poet Pampa recalls poets like Samantabhadra, Kavi Paramashthi, and Pujyapada.

The author highlights that Samantabhadra and Pujyapada lived in ancient times, and their birth and work place was Karnataka. Therefore, it is inferred that they might have composed works in the Kannada language, though none are currently available. However, the existence of extensive Kannada commentaries on Pujyapada's works and Old Kannada commentaries on Samantabhadra's works strongly supports the notion of Kannada literary creation during that era.

Shri Vijaya, mentioned by Nrupatunga, is also believed to have authored Kannada works, with some references found in texts from North India. Kavi Ishvara, or Kavi Paramashthi, is also considered an ancient poet, whose compositions might have predated Bhagwan Jinatna and Gunabhadra. Jinatna himself respectfully mentions Kavi Paramashthi in his Adipurana (verse 60, canto 1), calling him "the esteemed one among poets, the supreme among poets, who compiled the entire collection of poetic essence, the Purana." Similarly, Acharya Gunabhadra mentions Kavi Paramashthi in Uttarapurana. These references suggest that the biographies of the Trisasti Shalaka Purushas (sixty-three illustrious persons) were composed by Kavi Paramashthi before Jinatna and Gunabhadra, likely in the Kannada language, and possibly in a concise form that was later expanded by Jinatna and others.

The author's primary purpose in mentioning these figures is to establish the ancient lineage of Karnataka Jain literature, stating that Kannada works were being composed centuries before the era of Jinatna and Gunabhadra. Evidence for this is found in later texts and numerous ancient inscriptions, although the original manuscripts are lost to time.

Jain poets composed both prose and poetry in Kannada. Adikavi Pampa is credited with initiating the Champa (mixed prose and poetry) style in Karnataka literature with his works. Pampa, who composed Adipurana and Pampa-Bharata in 941 AD, is considered the originator of the Champa style in Karnataka. Pampa's literary contributions hold a significant place in Karnataka literature. Although his ancestors were Vedic Brahmins, his father, Abhirama, was drawn to Jainism, influencing Pampa's life and works.

Pampa's Adipurana is primarily based on the story from Acharya Bhagwan Jinatna's Adipurana, but Pampa's style is independent. While Jinatna's Sanskrit Mahapurana focused on narrative, religious instruction, and philosophy, Pampa's Adipurana also aimed to impart both literary and spiritual knowledge. The text beautifully portrays the life of Lord Adinath, offering teachings on renunciation of worldly pleasures through a comparative study of enjoyment and spiritual practice.

Pampa's second work, Pampa-Bharata, is based on the Indian epic Mahabharata. He used the contemporary king Prabu Arikesari as a model for Arjuna, praising him repeatedly. This comparison occasionally led Pampa to slightly deviate from the original narrative, but it did not diminish the epic's literary merit. Pampa's poetic skill is evident in this work, and he is revered as the pioneering literary figure of Karnataka. His works are highly respected across both Jain and non-Jain literary circles, and later poets have remembered him with reverence. For example, the poet Nagachandra, in his Ramayana, referred to himself as "Abhinava Pampa" (New Pampa), further highlighting Pampa's eminence.

Following Pampa, Kavi Ponnu (Ponna) emerged around 950 AD. He composed two religious works and one secular work, with his Shantinatha Purana being particularly noteworthy for its elegant portrayal of the life of the fifth Chakravarti, Lord Shantinath. His secular work, Bhuvaneka Ramabhyudaya, is unfortunately not available. He also composed a hymn called Jinaksharamala, holding a high position in Karnataka literature. He was honored with titles such as Kavi-Chakravarti (Emperor of Poets) and Ubhayabhasha-Kavi-Chakravarti (Emperor of Poets in Two Languages).

After Ponna, Mahakavi Ranna appeared around 993 AD. He was a Jain Vaishya, born into an ordinary family of oil sellers in Mudhol, yet he achieved profound scholarship in both Sanskrit and Kannada. His numerous beautiful works spread the fame of Karnataka literature globally. Ranna's Ajitapurana is a masterfully crafted literary piece, so highly regarded that Queen Attimabbe ordered a thousand copies to be written on palm leaves and distributed, demonstrating her love for literature and the high quality of Ranna's work. His other works like Parashurama Charita and Chakraeshvara Purana are not available. Ranna is considered a poet laureate in Karnataka literature. Pampa, Ranna, and Ponnu are collectively known as the "Kaviratnatraya" (Trio of Jewel Poets) in Karnataka, underscoring their significance.

Kavi Chamundaraya, contemporary to Ranna (reigned from 961 to 994 AD as a general to King Marasingha Rachamalla of Gangavadi), composed the Chamundaraya Purana. This is a prose work describing the lives of the twenty-four Tirthankaras and may have initiated the tradition of pure prose composition. Shivakoti also composed the prose work Vaddaradhane.

Other notable poets from around the 11th century include Nayanasena, author of Dharmamrita; Nemichandra, author of Lilavati Prabandha; and Andayya, creator of Kabbigara Kavya. These poets wrote works intended to impart religious teachings, selecting various themes. Through narrative literature, they promoted principles like ahimsa (non-violence). Many other poets from this period dedicated their lives to composing the biographies of the twenty-four Tirthankaras. The author mentions some of them: Karnaparya (1140) who wrote Nemiantha Purana, Aggaladeva (1189) for Chandrapra Bhupura, Achanna (1195) for Vardhamana Charitra, Gunavarma (1235) for Pushpadanta Purana, Kamalabhu (1235) for Shantinath Purana, Mahabala (1254) for Nemiantha Purana, and Madhura Kavi (1385) for Dharmanath Purana.

Kavi Chakravarti Janna was active from 1170 to 1235 AD, greatly enriching Karnataka literature. His Yashodharacharita is renowned for its poetic sweetness and skillful composition. The philosophical premise of this work is based on the Yashastilaka Champa Mahakavya from Sanskrit literature, and just as Yashastilaka holds a prominent place in Sanskrit literature, Janna's Yashodharacharita holds the same in Karnataka literature. Janna was honored with the title Kavi Chakravarti.

Hastimalla was also active during this period, being a 'Ubhayabhasha Chakravarti' (Emperor in Two Languages). He composed a prose version of Adipurana and lived until 1290 AD. He also has some Sanskrit works to his credit.

Abhinava Pampa Kavi Nagachandra, a learned poet of the 12th century, composed a beautiful Ramayana and called himself "Abhinava Pampa." He is also believed to have composed Mallinatha Purana in memory of the Jinanlaya of Bhagavan Mallinatha that he had commissioned in Vijaya pura.

In the 14th century, Bhaskara Kavi composed the Jivandhara Charitra in the Bhamini Shatpadi meter with a beautiful style. Bommarasa composed Sanatkumara Charitra and Jivandhara Charitra.

In the early 16th century, Manga Rasa Kavi composed several works including Samyaktva Kaumudi, Jayanoop Kavya, Nemijinesh Sangati, Shripal Charitra, Prabhanjana Charitra, and Soup Shastra. Similarly, Salva Kavi composed the Bharata, and Doddayya Kavi composed the Chandraprabha Charitra during this period.

Following these, Mahakavi Ratnakara Varni is to be mentioned with great respect in the literary world. He composed the extensive spiritual and elegant work Bharatesha Vaibhava, containing approximately 10,000 Sangatya verses. The author's descriptive skill, eloquence, and influential portrayal of the union of worldly enjoyment and spiritual practice are noteworthy. This work is divided into five parts named Bhogavijaya, Digvijaya, Yogavijaya, Mokshavijaya, and Arkakirti Vijaya, representing the five auspicious events. It dates back to 1557 AD. This epic narrates the daily life of Bharateshwara, son of Lord Adinath, in a captivating style, presenting a profound spiritual narrative. The author himself has translated this work into Hindi, with several editions published. Marathi and Gujarati translations are also available, and an English translation is in progress. The Indian government has recognized this work as a "Bharatiya Gaurav Granth" (Indian Pride Text), highlighting its significance. Besides this monumental work, Mahakavi Ratnakara Varni also greatly benefited the spiritual world by composing three collections of verses: Ratnakara Shataka, Aparajita Shataka, and Triloka Shataka. He also composed over 2000 spiritual verses.

Other poets of the Sangatya Era continued to compose works in the Sangatya meter. This includes Bahubali Kavi (1560) for Nagakumara Charite; Payanna Vrati (1606) for Samyaktva Kaumudi, Panchavat (1614) for Bhujabali Charite; Chandrabha Kavi (1646) for Karkala Gommatesha Charite; Dharani Pandit (1650) for Vijnanaraya Charite, Nemipandita (1650) for Suvichara Charitra; Chidananda Kavi (1680) for Munivanshabhyudaya Kavya; Padmanabha Pandita (1680) for Jinadattaraya Charite; Paya Kavi (1750) for Rama Chandra Charite; Ananta Kavi (1780) for Shravana Belgola Gommatesha Charite; Dharani Pandita for Varanga Charitra and Jinabharata; Chandrasagara Varni (1810) for Ramayana. Around the same time, Charu Pandita composed Bhavya Jana Chintamani, and Devachandra Kavi composed Rajavali Kathakosa, historical works. The era of Pampa Mahakavi can be termed the Champa era, while Ratnakara Varni's era is the Sangatya era. Both were undoubtedly epoch-making poets.

Karnataka Literature in Various Subjects: Nrupatunga's Kavirajamarga is a foundational treatise for poets. Similarly, Nagavarma's Chhodosadhi deals with metrics, and his Bhashabhushana is on grammar. Other important works include Kavyavalokana (Poetics), Vastukosha (Lexicon), Bhattakalanka's Shabdanushasana (Grammar), Kesiraja's Shabda Mani Darpan, Salva's Rasaratnakara, Devottama's Nanartha Ratnakara (Lexicon), and Shringara Kavi's Karnataka Sanjeevani (Lexicon), all providing precise knowledge in their respective fields and showcasing the diverse contributions of Karnataka literary scholars.

Furthermore, Karnataka poets also composed works on subjects like medicine, astrology, and physiognomy. Many of these are not available today, but some are. Notable medical works include Vaidya Kalpana (Somnath), Hastyaayurveda (Shivamaradeva), Balagraha Chikitsa (Devendramuni), Madanatila (Chandraraja), and Smara Tantra (Janna). Yoga-related works like Dhyanasara Samuchchaya are also mentioned. In astrology, works like Sridharacharya's Jatakatilaka (1049), Chamundaraya's Lokopakaraka (physiognomy), Jagabandhunandan's Soup Shastra, Rajaditya's Ganitasastra, and Arhadadas Kavi's Shakunashastra are important. The author notes that many authors could not be mentioned due to space constraints, but these examples provide an idea of the literary wealth in this language.

Conclusion: The text concludes by reiterating that ancient Jain poets of Karnataka have diligently nurtured the tradition of literature from very early times, contributing to various aspects of the world through literary works. While much literature has been lost or distorted, the remaining corpus is substantial. The author states that the extant Karnataka Jain literature is enough to make any society proud and to be remembered with reverence by the literary community. This tradition was established by the Jain poets of Karnataka and is a matter of pride for the Jain community. However, the responsibility of preserving this sacred tradition now rests with the current generation. The author urges the present generation to prove worthy of this legacy, lest they be remembered as a lineage that lives only on the names of ancestors, lacking in self-effort. The author poses the question: "What are we doing for that tradition?"

Need for Publication: The author emphasizes the necessity of translating excellent literature from this language into other languages for the benefit of a wider readership. He urges wealthy individuals within the community to focus their attention on this endeavor.