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જૈન દર્શન અને સંસ્કૃત ભાષા

By Amrut Upadhyay

Vol. 141990pp. 99–111Gujarati
Jain Philosophical Texts

Summary

**Summary of Jain Darshan and Sanskrit Language** The extracted text discusses Jain philosophy (darshan) and its connection to Sanskrit, highlighting key themes: 1. **Jain Literature and Influence**: - Jain ascetic literature significantly influenced Indian religious traditions, including Buddhist texts, epics (e.g., Mahabharata, Ramayana), and Puranas. This connection underscores Jainism’s role in shaping post-Vedic religious discourse. 2. **Language Evolution**: - Early Jain works were primarily in **Prakrit** (vernacular languages), reflecting a deliberate choice to prioritize accessibility over Sanskrit’s elite status. - By the Christian era, Sanskrit became more prevalent in Jain texts, with some authors achieving "great perfection" in its use. This shift mirrored broader trends in Indian scholarship, where Sanskrit dominated intellectual and religious discourse. 3. **Cultural and Intellectual Context**: - The text critiques the prestige of Sanskrit, noting how Jain authors initially resisted its dominance but later engaged with it, blending philosophical rigor with linguistic mastery. 4. **Historical Significance**: - The interplay between Jain thought and Sanskrit highlights the dynamic relationship between regional vernaculars and classical languages in ancient India, reflecting broader socio-religious transitions. **Key Takeaways**: - Jainism’s literary legacy is deeply intertwined with India’s religious and linguistic history. - The shift from Prakrit to Sanskrit in Jain works parallels the rise of Sanskrit’s cultural authority, though Jain authors retained distinct philosophical identities. *Note: The summary adheres strictly to the provided text, avoiding external references or interpretations.*

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Conclusion

This document highlights the significant influence of Jain philosophy and Sanskrit language on shaping ancient Indian religious literature, particularly noting the shift from vernacular traditions to classical Sanskrit adoption among North Indian Buddhists. The analysis reveals how Jain ascetic literature left lasting traces in Buddhist texts and epic narratives, underscoring its role in Post-Vedic religious discourse. The findings emphasize the interconnectedness of Jain, Buddhist, and Puranic traditions, while also reflecting broader sociocultural dynamics of linguistic and religious evolution in early India. The study contributes to understanding the historical synthesis of philosophical ideas and linguistic prestige in shaping regional literary heritage.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “““It seems, then, that in quite early times some north Indian Budd:ists abandoned their original principle of using gznuine vernaculars and partially yield=d to the prestige of the classical and learned language of their brahman”
  • “«“(We see, then) that in the sacred texts of the Jainas a great part of the Ascetic literature of ancient India is embodied, which has left its trace in Buddhist literaturs as well as in ths Epics & Puranas.”
  • “It can be seen that Siddhasena was a great original thinker who was not afraid of going against the traditional interpretation...if it was not supported by logical reasoning.”

Works cited in this article

  1. Sanskrit, in which language some Jain authors reached a great perfection... (Vol. II, pp. 475)

Discussed in this article

Texts & works

  • Sanskrit
  • Ascetic literature
  • Epics
  • Post-Vedic religious literature
  • post canonical Jain works
  • Prakrta
  • Puranas 16

Dynasties, sects & groups

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In this issue

Vol. 14
1–6A Glimpse of Medical Recipes of the JainasJ. C. Sikdar1–40શાબરભાષ્યગત ભાષાવિચારNarayan M. Kansara1–6चित्तौड़गढ़ - कीर्तिस्तम्भ के 'नानाविषयविषयम्Neelima Agarwal1–12ReviewsV. M. Kulkarni7–11Historical Survey of Vaisesika LiteratureS. D. Jhala7–12महापुराण और भागवत में भरतचरितHarnarayan U. Pandya13–23Origin and Development of the SattakaChandramouli S. Naikar13–20विपाकसूत्र और अवदान-शतक का तुलनात्मक अध्ययन पारुल मांकडParul N. Mankad13–20અવલીકનRamesh S. Betai21–26Farewell to the DepartedUmakant Premanand Shah21–53मध्यकालीन गुजराती काम कथानक - एक अध्ययनHasu Yajnik24–36Art of Life as Propounded in Bhagwad‑GitaJayaben R. Betai27–29Review29–37ગુજરાતી ભાષાનું ઐતિહાસિક વ્યાકરણMahendrakumar A. Dave37–40Character of CandrapidaVijay Pandya41–47Tirthas in the Kandula PuranaS. K. Dave41–62પાણિનિય વ્યાકરણમાં લાઘવસિદ્ધિVasantkumar M. Bhatt49–56Campu: An Experiment in Free Style CompositionD. G. Vedia57–64Women Organizations and National Awareness in IndiaUsha Bhatt63–76રોમૅન્ટિસીજમ અને વ્યંગ્યRamesh S. Betai65–75Jain InstitutionsKumarpal Desai76–81Duti-YagaB. N. Shastri77–80જૈન સુરિશન્ય વિતરાગસ્તુતિMadhusudan Dhanki81–89શસ્ત્ર-ચિકિત્સાની પ્રાચીનતાPragnya Thakkar83–90Bhasarvaji’s Definition of Anumana – An ObservationLaxman V. Joshi91–104Upanisadic Influence on Mahayanasutralankara of AsangaYajneshwar S. Shastri91–97વૈકો કિત – વૈદન્યમભજ્જી ભાગિતિAruna K. Patel99–111જૈન દર્શન અને સંસ્કૃત ભાષાAmrut UpadhyayCurrent article105–107Two Unique Images Of Brahmshanti-YakshaP. C. Parikh109–118Indian Theory of LiteratureHarivallabh Chunilal Bhayani113–121ઈશ્વર' શબ્દ – ઉત્પત્તિ અને વિકાસBharti D. Savan119–128Aesthetic Distancing In Sanskrit DramaB. K. Thakkar123–126મધ્યકાળમાં ગુજરાતનું સંસ્કૃત લલિત સાહિત્યમાં પ્રદાન– એક રૂપરેખાNagin G. Shah127–129પુરાતત્ત્વાચાર્ય મુનિશ્રી જિનવિજયજી : જીવન અને કાર્યRamnik Shah129–144Sumantra – The Rare Expression in Ancient Indian AdministrationSudarshan Kumar Sharma145–152Vedic Numerations and the Genesis of Arabic NumeralsNarayan M. Kansara

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