Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c5.s13.2

c5.s13.2

The exegetical literature which includes some of the important commentaries such as the *Brhatkalpa Bhāsya*, and its *Vrtti*, the *Vyavahāra Bhāsya* and its *Vivaraṇa*, the *Nisītha Cūrṇi*, the *Āvasyaka Cūrṇi*, and the commentaries on the *Āvasyaka* and *Uttarādhyayana*, is undoubtedly a mine of rich treasure in itself. In these works we come across various customs and beliefs prevalent in those days in different parts of India, various feasts and festivals, religious sects, wandering ascetics, descriptions of famine, robbers and dacoits, the inaccessible roads, mountains and deserts, economic production, industry, trade-routes, dress, ornaments, food, and various other matters of importance, which have nothing to do with religion as such, but are of general interest to the man on the street. The commentary literature is also important from the point of view of the voluminous and comprehensive narrative literature that it contains. According to Dr. Winternitz, many a gem of the narrative art of ancient India has come down to us by way of the Jaina commentary and narrative literature, which would otherwise have been consigned to oblivion³⁹ The commentary literature like the canonical literature is also important from the point of view of the history of Indian languages. The canonical literature and its earliest commentaries are written in Prākrta language, which is very useful in tracing the history of the modern Indian vernaculars.