ABSTRACT
This contribution explores Jain attitudes towards translation of their scriptures on the basis of examples taken from the Śvetāmbara body of canonical works. Although theoretical statements are mostly lacking, the practice of translation is deeply rooted in the exegetical tradition, the products of which amount to translations. Language transfer has always been regarded as a necessary tool to suit new contexts and audiences, thus leading from Ardhamāgadhī Prakrit to Sanskrit and Gujarati (one of the vernaculars). The mechanisms of translation are examined here, including word analysis, sentence renderings and the issue of paraphrase. While source and target languages belong to the same linguistic family and translators are informed by a long tradition of learning, gaps in understanding may result in unexpected renderings or creations of new words. Finally, formulas ascribed magical powers and seen as mantras are a challenge to the prevalent positive Jain attitude towards translating, as shown by a discussion of the Navakāramantra.
