Influence of Prakrit on Kannada Language and Literature

Summary

Hampa Nagarajaiah’s paper argues that Kannada language and literature cannot be understood without acknowledging the influence of Prakrit. He identifies four levels of influence: linguistic, literary, metrical and religious. Contact with Prakrit introduced phonetic and semantic changes into early Kannada, and the first stratum of Kannada literature drew heavily on Prakrit models. In prosody, three Kannada metres—ragale, kanda and sangatya—derive from Prakrit patterns, and poets adopted Apabhramsa kaḍavakas and terminology like paddati and paddali. Kanda evolved from the Prakrit skandaka and Apabhramsa khandaya, while sangatya comes from the Prakrit sanghatta. On the religious level, Jainism arrived in Karnataka from the north, bringing Prakrit chants into household recitation. Scholars argue that Kannada literature minus Jain influence would be negligible and that Jain literature in Kannada without Prakrit would be a “big cipher.” Inscriptions show that Prakrit inscriptions predate Kannada inscriptions; by the time the first Kannada inscription appeared around 450 CE there were dozens of Prakrit inscriptions. Dynasties like the Satavahanas used Prakrit as the court language; later dynasties and Jain acharyas continued to use Prakrit, bridging northern and southern India. Over the centuries, Kannada poets wrote commentaries on Prakrit canonical works, adapted Prakrit metres, and drew stories and characters from Prakrit sources. The influence lasted through the 14th century, allowing Kannada literature to assimilate the best qualities of Prakrit while maintaining its own identity.