Mahāvīra, Prākŗta and the Āgamas - Language of the Jaina Āgamas
It is incontrovertible that the 6th Century B.C. witnessed the rise of the 24th Tīrthańkara, Mahāvīra who played a dominant role in shaping the cultural history of India. Owing to the magnetic personality of Mahāvīra and his metaphysical, ethical and spiritual teachings, number of kings, queens, princes, princesses, ministers and merchants accepted him as their teacher. Thus males and females of all castes and classes became the ardent followers of Mahāvīra, and a fourfold order of Sādhus (male ascetics), Śādhvis (female ascetics), Śrāvakas (male householders) and Srāvikās (female householders) came into existence. He revolted against the socio-religious exploitation and oppression of man and introduced vigorous innovations in the then existing social law and order. In fact, he serves as an illustration both of spiritual realization and social reconstruction.
Mahāvīra was born on the 27th march 598 BC at Kşatriya Kuńdagrāma (Kuńdalapura) now known as Vasukuńda or Vāsukuńda about 50 KM. to the North of Patna. Since with the birth of Mahāvīra prosperity increased, King Siddhāratha and queen Triśalā call their son, Vardhamāna. Because of controlling and pacifying an amuck elephant, the people of Kuńdalapura addressed him by the name "Ativīra'. By seeing the poisonous cobra, Vardhamāna fearlessly played with it so the Sańgama deva who assumed the form of a cobra, bestowed on him the honour of being "Mahāvīra”. In the Buddhist text, he is referred to as the Nigganŧha Nāŧaputta.
Gradually Mahāvīra attainted adulthood. In spite of this, worldly pleasures did not attract him. In consequence he decided to lead a life of asceticism. After receiving the consent of his parents, he relinquished all mundane pleasures so as to attain Siddhahood and in consequence he assumed complete nudity and become a Nirgrańtha. This is known as Mahāvīra's Abhini¾krama´a, that is, the great Renunciation of Mahāvīra. This renunciation took place on Monday the 29th December 569 B.C. at the age of 30 and from that time Mahāvīra moved as a Nirgrańtha Muni i.e. a naked ascetic.
Since Mahāvīra regarded Dhyāna as the clear and single road by which the aspirant can move straight to the supreme good, he selected isolated and lonely places such as forest, cremation ground, caves, and mountain tops for performing Dhyāna (meditation). He endured with the greatest equanimity all sorts of abuses, tortures inflicted on him by vicious persons. He meditated day and night, undisturbed and unperturbed and at last under the ¹sāla tree on the banks of the river Ŗjukūlā outside the town, Jŗmbhikā, he attained supreme knowledge known as Kevalajňāna and became Arhat on Sunday the 26th April 557 B.C. at the age of 42 years.
After the attainment of omniscience (Kevalajňāna), Mahāvīra remained silent and did not deliver, according to Digambara tradition, any sermon for sixty-six days. At the advent of a renowned Vedic scholar, named Indrabhūti Gautama in the Samavasaraņa (religious assembly) Mahāvīra delivered his first sermon at the Vipulācala Mountain outside the city of Rājagrha, the capital of Magadha, on Saturday the 1st July 557 B.C. This day is celebrated as the Vīraśasana day and Mahāvīra designated Indrabhūti Gautama as his first Gaņadhara (chief disciple). Along with Indrabhūti Gautama his five hundred pupils joined the order of Mahāvīra. Gradually Mahāvīra initiated more Vedic scholars into the ascetic order. It is of capital importance to note that Mahāvīra made use of Prākŗta for his discourses, as a result of which the Gańadharas prepared the whole canonical literature in Prākŗta.
Now the question is why did Mahāvīra deliver his first sermon only at the advent of a Vedic scholar? My interpretation of the event is: Vedic scholar is a Prākŗta scholar, since the Vedas have been composed in loka Bh¢¾a (language of the masses) of that period. Pt. Kisoridasa Vajapaye tells us that the language of the Vedas is the first form of Prākŗta, though this underwent change in form in course of time and became the second stage of Prākŗta at the time of Mahāvīra. This second stage was prevalent in a very large area and Mahāvīra's discourses were meant for all without any distinction of caste and creed, classes and masses, so he chose Prākŗta for his deliverances. I have no hesitation to say that the mother tongue of even Panini was Prākŗta. Since the eleven Gaņadharas including Indrabhūti Gautama were Vedic scholars, they were well-versed in Prākŗta language. Mahāvīra gave them the most important task of Āgamic preparation. My contention is that just as the seeds of Laukika (Classical) Sańskŗta are inherent in the Vedic language, similarly the seeds of Prākŗta constructions may be easily discerned in the Vedic language. Thus the Vedic language is the precursor of Laukika Sańskŗta as well as Prākŗta constructions. Thus to say that Prākŗta is derived from Laukika Sańskŗta is an improper approach to the history of language development in India. I may, therefore, conclude by saying that the study of Vedic language will constitute an all-embracing foundation of Indian culture. Unfortunately India is missing this aspect of culture and it must be remembered that the study of language is basic to the study of any culture. This will open the way to Prākŗta and Apabhrańşa studies and the study of regional languages. By virtue of this, the origin of national language, Hindi will be understood in a right perspective.
Since Mahāvīra preached in Prākŗta language, the language of the Āgamas is Prākŗta. Hence canonical writing and the earliest commentaries are written in Prākŗta language. It will not be out of place to mention that Mahāvīra was desirous of making the values of life accessible to the masses of the people, So he adopted Prākŗta for the propagation of ethicospiritual ways of life and living.
Now the question is what is the origin of Prākŗta adopted by Mahāvīra? In reply it may be said that Mahāvīra's Prākŗta is derived from the first stage of Prākŗta, from which Vedic language and the Panini's language have been derived. Thus first stage of Prākŗta language is the mother of all the Āryan languages of India.
To say that Prākŗta is derived from Panini's Sańskŗta is not correct, since we find many parallels in Vedic language and Prākŗta constructions. Some examples may be given to show Prākŗtism in Vedas, as for example, in the Vedas we find Kuŧha, Dūlabha, Uccā, Nicā, Dūdabha etc. In Vedic language O is seen in the nominative case masculine singular number like Prākŗta as, So, Sańvatsaro etc. Just as in the Vedic language, so in Prākŗta the Genitive Case is used in place of Dative case. Besides, in Prākŗta plural number is used in place of Dual number and this tendency can also be traced in the Vedas.
This goes to prove that the origin of Prākŗta of the Mahāvīra era is neither Vedic language nor classical Sańskŗta of Panini, but it has come to us from the First Stage of Prākŗta, from which Vedic language and classical Sańskŗta have been derived. Thus Vākapatirāja is correct when he says in the Gaudavaho that all the Āryan languages have come down to us from Prākŗta.
Thus it can be said that Vedic language, classical Sańskŗta, Prākŗta of Mahāvīra's era, Apabhrańşa, provincial languages like Gujarati, Sindhi etc. and Hindi the national language of India have gradually developed from the First Stage of Prākŗta.
Now it is intelligible that Mahāvīra 's Sojourn in the Arhat state of life inspired him to preach in the universal language used by the masses of people, though Vedic language and the classical Sańskŗta preceded him. This may be styled language renascence, which supported the uplift of the masses. The neglect of the common man ended with this attitude of Mahāvīra. It is of capital importance to note that the Jaina Acaryas continued to compose their works in Prākŗta up to 13th cent. A.D;namely the Āgamic commentaries, the metaphysico-spiritual works of Kundakunda, logical works of Siddhasena and Devasena, ethical works of Vaŧŧakera and Haribhadra etc. Besides, there are numerous Cāritras in Prākŗta that describe the life of individual Tīrthańkara such as Ŗşabha, Śantinātha, Neminātha, Pārśva and Mahāvīra. Jainas own abundant narrative literature in Prākŗta. All this shows that Jainas have to their credit voluminous Prākŗta literature, but unfortunately the study of Prākŗta language has practically disappeared from India. What will be its consequence is a matter of great concern for the custodians of Indian culture.
From what has been said above it may be rightly inferred that the Second Stage of Prākŗta originating form, Mahāvīra used the First Stage of Prākŗta of the pre-vedic times for his deliverances and Gaņadharas prepared the Āgamic literature from it. In contravention to this, it was considered by some scholars that the Prākŗta of Mahāvīra's times is subservient to Panini's Sańskŗta. Consequently they made the learning of Prākŗta through Sańskŗta, a compulsory part of learning Prākŗta. This made the whole thing cumbersome and unnatural, which resulted in the gradual disappearance of the learning of Prākŗta language. The result is that happily Sańskŗta is flourishing and surprisingly Prākŗta is waning. At present Prākŗta is understood through Sańskŗta, which seems to me to be an anti- Mahāvīra attitude. This means that the Prākŗta language, which is the representative of the common man’s aspirations, is denied the respectful position in society at large. Its revival is very much important for making intelligible the cultural history of India. Without it India will be misunderstood and the increasing significance of the common man in the present day democracy will not find its basis in ancient history of India.
It is matter of great satisfaction that some scholars of the past decried the teaching of Prākŗta through Sańskŗta, but they could not find time to develop a detailed programme of teaching Prākŗta independently of Sańskŗta. It is to the credit of Apabhrańşa Sāhitya Academy, Jaipur, Prākŗta Bhāratī Academy Jaipur and to the University Department of Jainology and Prākŗta, Udaipur for starting teaching Prākŗta independently of Sańskŗta. Deriving inspiration from the Prākŗta scholars of wide repute and recognition, Apabhrańşa Sāhitya Academy has made a humble effort in preparing the required system of teaching Prākŗta and Apabhrańşa through the National language, Hindi. Some of the Students and teachers of the Universities are studying the Prākŗta and Apabhrańşa language through correspondence course developed by the Apabhrańşa Sāhitya Academy, Jaipur. It is my wish that students who have come here to study Jainism will make use of this method for learning the Prākŗta language. They may use their mother tongue to learn Prākŗta for comprehending the Āgamas. This will go a long way in understanding properly the contribution of Jaina Āgamas in enriching world culture in general and Indian culture in particular.