The Bhagavati Sutra, also known as the Vyakhyaprajnapti, stands within the Jain tradition as a vast and intricate scripture, originally composed in Ardhamagadhi Prakrit. This canonical language forms the bedrock of its preserved text, transmitted in various Indic scripts over the centuries. Around this Prakrit core, a rich exegetical heritage developed, including Prakrit-based bhashyas and churnis that blend explanation with the original wording. Portions of the work have also been rendered into Sanskrit within commentarial literature, not so much as strict, line‑by‑line translations, but as interpretive expositions that illuminate doctrine and narrative.

In the modern era, the desire to make this encyclopedic work accessible has led to extensive translations into several Indian languages. Hindi and Gujarati occupy a central place here, with multiple full translations and commentaries produced by Jain scholars and institutions; these often present the Prakrit text alongside a modern rendering and explanatory notes. Other regional languages, including Marathi and Kannada, also have translations or doctrinal expositions derived from the Bhagavati Sutra, though these are typically more limited in scope. Such efforts reflect the living engagement of diverse Jain communities with this foundational scripture.

Beyond the Indian languages, the text has also drawn the attention of scholars working in English and certain European languages. In English, there are multiple translations, though these are often partial or thematic, focusing on selected dialogues, cosmological descriptions, or doctrinal sections; complete versions are less common, given the work’s extraordinary length and complexity. German and French scholarship has likewise produced translations of selected passages, usually embedded within broader studies of Jain doctrine and the life of Mahavira. These translations, whether partial or extensive, function less as replacements for the original and more as gateways, inviting readers into the conceptual universe of the Bhagavati Sutra while acknowledging the depth that only the Prakrit canon fully contains.