The Influence of Jainism on Early Kannada Literature: Sheldon Pollock’s Work Language of Gods
The credit of establishing Kannada as one of the foremost literary languages of far greater significance and dimension goes to Sheldon Pollock. In his book, Language of the Gods in the World of Men, he has narrated the history and described the core characteristics of Kannada literature, and accompl...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
2019
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| In: |
International Journal of Jaina Studies
Year: 2019, Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 1-24 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The credit of establishing Kannada as one of the foremost literary languages of far greater significance and dimension goes to Sheldon Pollock. In his book, Language of the Gods in the World of Men, he has narrated the history and described the core characteristics of Kannada literature, and accomplished the task that was long due. About 50 pages in chapter 9, and some pages in chapter 10, are devoted to the historical development of Kannada. Befitting references to the antiquity, density, historicity, sociology, literary production and other accomplishments are presented. However, Pollock’s statement ‘Jainism has little or nothing to do with Early Kannada literature’ is unjustified. A vast corpus of literature produced by Jain litterateurs is either ignored or diluted. For instance, the Vaḍḍārādhane, the earliest extant major work of Kannada literature, singular for its poetic prose, does not figure in the book. References to Śrīvijaya's two kāvyas, the Raghuvaṃśapurāṇa and the Candraprabhapurāṇa are missing. The Yāpanīya-saṃgha, a prominent sect, mentioned in many medieval inscriptions and enjoying royal donations, does not even figure for its name sake. Jinavallabha, the younger brother of poet Pampa, was adroit in Telugu, adept in Kannada and proficient in Sanskrit. He is the earliest poet in Telugu and wrote a famous inscription in three languages. The paper is a critique of Sheldon Pollock's book Language of the Gods in the World of Men with special reference to the treatment of Kannada, which awaits serious analysis and an extensive debate. |
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| ISSN: | 1748-1074 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International Journal of Jaina Studies
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