Ishita Bansal
Independent Researcher
Punjab, India
Abstract
This study offers an in-depth comparative examination of central philosophical tenets in Jain literature rendered in Prakrit and medieval Kannada, focusing specifically on the doctrines of non-violence (ahiṃsā), the theory of karma, the principle of anekāntavāda (the multiplicity of viewpoints), and the concept of liberation (mokṣa). Jainism’s early canon, preserved in Prakrit Āgamas, lays the groundwork for a rigorous, systematic exposition of these doctrines, emphasizing precise ethical definitions, metaphysical categorization, and soteriological frameworks. In contrast, Kannada Jain literature—flourishing from the 9th to the 15th century CE—repackages these same ideas into vernacular narratives, devotional poetry, and allegorical hagiographies, embedding them within local cultural idioms and narrative strategies. Employing a qualitative hermeneutic methodology, this research identifies and analyzes representative passages: doctrinal formulations in the Acaranga and Sutrakṛtāṅga Sūtras; narrative parables in Vaddaradhane; genealogical case studies in Jinasena’s Mahāpurāṇa; and poetic dialogues in Nemichandra’s Gommatasara. An interpretive matrix captures thematic definitions, narrative contexts, stylistic devices, and doctrinal emphases. Findings indicate that while Prakrit texts prioritize analytical clarity—differentiating intentional versus unintentional violence, detailing eight categories of karmic bondage, and articulating the path to mokṣa through stages of restraint and insight—Kannada works adapt these teachings through emotive storytelling, local metaphors, and dramatic discourse, thereby making abstract philosophy accessible to lay audiences.
Keywords
Jain Philosophy, Kannada Literature, Prakrit Literature, Anekāntavāda, Ahiṃsā, Karma, Mokṣa
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