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PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure in presenting to the world of scholars this critical edition of Pañcastrakam, with the Sanskrit commentary of Acarya Haribhadrasüri, as the second volume of the Bhogilal Leherchand Series (and as the first volume of Sri HaribhadrasūriGranthamälä). This work has over many centuries occupied a position of high esteem among the post-agama works on Jain Dharma. Muni Sri Jambūvijayaji Mahārāja has spared no pains. to make this edition as perfect as humanly possible. In preparing this edition he has made use of all old palm-leaf and important paper manuscripts preserved at different places of learning and Bhandars. He has noted significant variant readings in the footnotes. He has added notes and cross-references to related texts-agama as well as post-agama texts and commentaries. He has also added four scholarly and highly useful Appendices besides one Appendix presenting the bare text for the convenience of sädhus and Sadhvis who wish to learn by heart the whole text. He has further prefaced this edition with his learned introductions in Gujarati and Sanskrit dealing with some of the most important topics relating to the text.
We are indeed grateful to Muni Sri Jambūvijayaji Mahārāja for preparing this critical edition for the B. L. Series at our request. We thank Professor V. M. Kulkarni, formerly Director of our Institute, for his comprehensive and scholarly Introduction in English.
We have no doubt whatsoever that this critical edition will be warmly welcomed by scholars of Indology, particularly of Jainology, and the Jain Samhgha at large.
Place: Delhi
Date: 16th September, 1985
Jain Education International
PRATAP BHOGILAL Chairman, Governing Council Bhogilal Leherchand Institute of Indology
VIII
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