Structure of Answer:

1. Introduction: Brief about Jainism and its contribution to Literature (20-30 words)
2. Body: Contribution to Kannada literature- following point should be mentioned- three gems of Kannada literature; 'Augustan Age of Kannada Literature'; Give some work by Jain writers (80 words)
3. Conclusion: On a positive note- How Jainism enriched the rich tradition of Karnataka (20-30 words)

Content:

JAIN contribution to LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

• Perhaps the most creditable contribution of Jainas is in the field of languages and literature
• It is quite evident that right from the Vedic period two different currents of thought and ways of life known as (a) Brahman culture and (b) Sramana culture are prevalent in India
• The Sramana culture is mainly represented by the Jainas and the Buddhists and of them the Jainas were the first to propagate that culture.
• That is why from ancient times we have the Sramana literature besides the Brahmanic literature
• The characteristic features of the Sramana literature are as follows:
  • It disregards the system of castes and Asramas;
  • its heroes are, as a rule, not Gods and Rule, but kings or merchants or even Sudras
  • The subjects of poetry taken up by it are not Brahmanic myths and legends, but popular tales: fairy stories, fables and parables.
  • It likes to insist on the misery and sufferings of samsara and it teaches a morality of compassion and ahimsa, quite distinct from the ethics of Brahmanism with its ideals of the great sacrificers and generous supporter of the priests, and of strict adherence to the caste system
• The authors of this Sramana literature have contributed enormously to the religious, ethical, poetical, and scientific literature of ancient India.
• Besides a very extensive body of poetical narratives, the non-canonical literature of the Jainas consists of an immense number of commentaries and independent works on dogma, and monastic discipline.
• They also composed legends of saints and works on ecclesiastical history
• Apart from these, the most valuable contributions have been made by the Jainas to the Indian scientific and technical literature on various subjects like logic, philosophy, poetics, grammar, lexicography, astronomy, astrology, geography, mathematics and medicine
• The Jainas have paid special attention to the arthasastra (or politics) which is considered to be "a worldly science" par excellence.
• It is an established fact that the Jainas have enriched various regional languages and especially Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu
• Jainas alone utilized the prevailing languages of the different places, besides Sanskrit, Prakrit, for their religious propagation as well as for the preservation of knowledge. It is thus quite evident that the Jainas occupy an important position in the history of the literature and civilization of India

Regarding the Jaina contribution to Kannada literature:

• Kannada literature is often classified into Jaina, Vaishnava and Veerashaiva literatures recognizing the prominence of these three faiths in giving form to, and fostering, classical expression of the language
• Starting with the Kavirajamarga (c. 850), and until the middle of the 12th century, literature in Kannada was almost exclusively composed by the Jains, who found eager patrons in the Chalukya, Ganga, Rashtrakuta and Hoysala kings
• Jainas dominated Kannada literature till 12th century
• The earliest existing prose piece in old Kannada is a Jain text Vaddaradhane (“Worship of Elders”, 9th century) by Shivakotiacharya.
• Jain writers Adikavi Pampa, Sri Ponna and Ranna, collectively called the “three gems of Kannada literature”.
• Pampa wrote “Adi Purana” in 941 AD, which narrates the life history of Rishabdev, the first Thirthankar of Jainism
• Ponna wrote “Shantipurana”, a biography of the 16th Jain Tirthankar Shantinatha
• Ranna’s poetic writings reached their zenith with “Sahasa Bhima Vijaya”. These clearly show the strong influence of Jainas in Kannada literature
• The earliest cultivators of the Kannada language were Jainas
• The period of the Jainas' predominance in the literary field may justly be called the 'Augustan Age of Kannada Literature'.
• Jaina authors in Kannada to name only a few, we have Pampa, Ponna, Ranna, Gunavarman, Nagachandra, Nayasena, Nagavarman, Aggala, Nemichandra, Janna, Andayya, Bandhuvarma and Medhura, whose works are admired as excellent specimens of poetical composition.
• It is only in Kannada that we have a Ramayana and a Bharata based on the Jaina tradition in addition to those based on Brahmanical tradition.
• Besides kavyas written by Jaina authors, we have numerous works by them dialing with subjects such as grammar, rhetoric, prosody, mathematics, astrology, medicine, veterinary science, cookery and so forth.
• They have played a very important part in the development of the Kannada Why? Jainas utilized the prevailing languages of the different places, besides Sanskrit and Prakrit, for their religious propagation as well as for the preservation of knowledge. It is thus quite evident that the Jainas occupy an important position in the history of the literature and civilization of India