Home > Society > Religion in India > Narrative Jain Literature and Poetry
Narrative Jain Literature and Poetry
Narrative Literary Poetry of Jains is an important historical source of the Jain Community. The work of the Jain writers in the field of narrative literary poets is very vast.

Share this Article:

Numerous writings deal directly or indirectly with the depiction of the eventful fates of the Jaina-community in the course of the centuries. Although a series of historical facts are told in these works, they are so full of legends and fairytales that they can be only very cautiously regarded as a historical source-material. The boundaries between poetry and truth become blurred in them without the authors becoming conscious of them, and the crass anachronisms are order of the day in them. Jainas differentiate between the charitras and Prabandhas. The Charitras are the biographies of Tirthankaras, world-rulers and the other of the 63 "great men", but also of the old great teachers. The Prabandhas deal with the biographies of prominent personalities of the later period, saints, as well as the kings, ministers, business-Rasas written in Gujrati old verse.

Jainas have evoked from time immemorial extremely fruitful activity in the field of fairy tales novels and fables. They competed with Hindus and Buddhists in inventing new materials and develop existing ones. Their writings in the field of narrative literature are so vast that it cannot be estimated at the moment.

There are numerous Kathas and Kathanakas of purely Jaina origin. The writers of these works were not motivated to writing them sheer pleasure of story-telling, but by certain intentions. Kathas and Kathanakas exist in every form and in every size. They are, brief animal fables and succinctly narrated like tales, long stories in prose, verses.

The most popular theme of the epic among the Jain writers is the story of Jivaka. The destinies of Jivandhara and the important persons are all interwoven with one another by a tie of karma and find their explanation in the past existences as consequences of their actions. There are a great number of fairy-tale stories in prose and poetry.

Allegories enjoy a special place among the Kathas. They are supposed to depict the truth of Jaina-faith in a metaphorical form. Jains have also written artistic novels in Bana`s style. In these works there is special emphasis upon the linguistic expression. They can, therefore, be regarded as "poems" (Kavya) composed in prose or in a mixture of verses and prose in accordance with the rules of poetics.

The content forms the centre of interest in all the work of narrative literature. This is true not only of the stories written in prose, but also of those in verse, indeed even of the artistic novels. But Jainas have also produced a number of work in which the contents completely recede behind. Every stanza in them is supposed to depict the whole which is complete in itself.

A great number of Jaina-poets have written stanzas also in Sanskrit and modern Indian language describing the different phenomena of human beauties of nature among other things. Also in the field of contemplative lyrics, the creation of Jaina-poets does not differ much from those of poets of other religious. Jainism is distinctly characterized in propagandistic and didactic poems. Hymnody is a much-cultivated field of Jaina-poetry. Laudatory songs are dedicated in the first place to the Tirthankaras, either individually or collectively. Besides, there are also such which are dedicated to gods and holy men. The songs are extensively used in the cult; even magical influence is attributed to some of them.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Religion in India


Religion in Indus Valley Civilization
Religion in Indus Valley Civilisation included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Details about the religion in Indus Valley Civilization have been gathered from archaeological artefacts.
Shaivism Religion
Shaivism is the second largest “religious community” in modern India with its roots deeply seated in the Hindu Vedic belief.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is among the more popular denominations of Hinduism, with its own distinctive ideas about spirituality and morality. Vaishnavism concentrates on worshipping god Vishnu and of his incarnations.
Hinduism Religion
Hinduism is more of a philosophy which is a way of living according to the understanding of the principles of Vedas and Upanishads.
Islam
Islam is a religion that beliefs in Allah as the one and only God and creator of the Universe. Islamic law or Sharia is characterised by the five pillars of Islam which comprise the essential duties of every Muslim.
Christianity
Christianity is a religion based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and it is the largest religion in the world.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy that encompasses a wide variety of beliefs, practices and traditions that are chiefly based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and its later disciples.
Jainism
Jainism chronologically preceded the religion of Buddhism. It is considered as one of the oldest religions of India. Jainism in India shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. It is an integral part of South Asian religious belief and practice, but it is not a Hindu sect and not a Buddhist heresy, as earlier scholars believed.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism, closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam was founded by Zoroaster.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion started by Guru Nanak in land of Punjab in 15th century A.D.
Iyer Brahmin
Iyer Brahmins are originally from Tamil Nadu of South India. The Iyers have always taken an interest in preserving the arts and sciences.
Barai Caste
Barai Caste is the professional cultivator caste of betel leaf. Tamboli and Pansari are the terms used indifferently for Barai Caste. The diversity of names of the sub-divisions of Barai Caste discloses the mixed elements that formed the caste.
Dangi Caste
Dangi Caste is largely distributed in the high land regions, and the word Dangi is said to have originated from the geographical features of their territory. Main occupation of the members of Dangi Caste is cultivation.
Nadar Caste
One of the most renowned castes of Tamil Nadu is the Nadar caste. The Nadar community is a mixture of sub-castes and classes of different origins, which came under one banner of Nadar caste gradually.
Kumbhakar Caste
Kumbhakar is the potter caste who manufactures all kinds of earthen vessels.
Gujjars in Maharashtra
Gujjars in Maharashtra have several sub-castes. Here, in this state the Gurjars are listed as a separate caste. They are included in the Maharashtra OBC list.
Awasthi Brahmin
Awasthi is a surname or a family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins in the Indian continent.
Bhoyar Caste
Bhoyar Caste is largely found in the Central Provinces of the country. Traditional occupation of Bhoyars is agriculture. They are good cultivators and mostly grow sugarcane.
Gujjars in Mughal Era
Gujjars in the Mughal era enjoyed great power. Further their power increased with the decline of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor.
Origin of Vaishnavism
Origin of Vaishnavism shares its attributes to many sources and religious evolution, dating back to pre-Vedic epoch.