The Indian subcontinent inhabited different kinds of communities with different cultures and languages. Some of them were Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Iranian, Austro-Asiatic, and Tibeto-Burman. The Indo-Aryan language may be divided into three types: Old Indo-Aryan, Middle Indo-Aryan, and the New Indo-Aryan. 

The Old Indo-Aryan language existed from 1500 BCE to 500 BCE and consisted of Vedic and Classical Sanskrit languages. The Middle Indo-Aryan language existed from 600 BCE to 1000 CE and consisted of languages such as Prakrit, Pali, and Apabhramsa. 

Finally, the New Indo-Aryan language existed from 1100 CE and comprised languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, etc. Thus, Prakrits are languages spoken by the Middle Indo-Aryans from 600 BCE to 1000 CE. After that, it was the regional language of the community and Sanskrit was considered as the standard language.

Pali was one of the ancient forms of Prakrit, which Buddhists commonly used. However, the Prakrit literature is devoted to Jainism. 

Prakrit Literature

Prakrit was the regional language of the Middle Indo-Aryans, which was considered earlier than Classical Sanskrit. The Prakrit literature consists mainly of religious Prakrits, literary Prakrits, dramatic Prakrits, inscriptional Prakrits and Prakrits in grammar.

Dandin, in his work Kavya Darsha, has mentioned four languages suitable for the composition of literature. They are Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, and mixed language.

 Bhoja, in his work Saraswati-Kanthabharana, has mentioned Prakrit as one of the main languages suitable for the composition of literature.

Prakrit was used in works that included praising the kings and ministers. In addition, it was used for writing inscriptions, works of administration, religious doctrines, plays, and songs. Prakrit was the first preferred language for writing fictional romance in India. Some fictional romances in Prakrit include Palitta’s Tarangavati (written most probably in the 1st or 2nd century), Haribhadra’s Samaradity-Charitra (written in the 8th century).

Some Famous Prakrit Literature

• Maharashtra: Maharashtra was one of the excellent forms of the Prakrit. It was known for its grammar and held a high position. Its linguistic features were unmatchable, and it also provided some help to the other Prakrit languages in the case of grammar and semantics. No doubt, Mararthi were known for their evolution in Prakrit literature. For example, Svetambara Jain wrote Paumacariya, which is a rework of Valmiki’s Ramayana. They were also famous for their composition of songs in Prakrit. 
• Magadhi: Magadi derived its name from Magadha. It is an eastern Prakrit. There are several works written in Magadhi, showcasing its grammar. However, the usage of Magadhi has been restricted to Sanskrit dramas.  

Jain literature in Prakrit

Jain literature consists mainly of two categories

• Agam or Canonical Literature (Agam Sutras): Agam literature consists of many works, which are the sacred books of the Jains. They are written in the Ardha-magadhi Prakrit language. 
• Non-Agam Literature: Non-Agam literature comprises the explanation of the Agam literature written by scholars. They are written in languages like Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsa, Rajasthani, etc. Most of the Prakrit literature is devoted to Jainism. They are the founders of the Jain Canonical Literature. The sacred texts use three types of Prakrits. The ancient books are written in Ardha-magadhi and the book that was written later was composed in Maharashtra. 

The Jains also used Prakrit for several other works. These include religious works like praising their literature, stories of Jain architectures, Jain doctrines, hymns, and songs. 

Jain Literature in Pali and Prakrit

• The Angas, Upanga, and Parikramas are the works written in Prakrit.
• Mahavira preached Jainism in Prakrit. This was one of the main reasons why Prakrit became popular among the Jains.

Conclusion

This article focuses mainly on Prakrit literature. It explains the different types of Prakrit literature and their uses in various fields. Prakrit is one of the ancient and widely used languages. The Jains also used the Prakrit language for their use. 

This article explains in detail about them. This article can easily understand Prakrit and its various forms and uses.