________________
Foreword
It is a great pleasure to publish a new work in the series of the Tirthankara biographies. The biography of the eighth Tirthankara of the Jain religion, namely Candraprabhsvāmi, is the subject of this volume. Its narrative covers some 6400 verses in Prakrit. Its language and narrative style are simple and lucid. Sanskrit and Apabhramśa verses also have been introduced at several places. The author of the work is the learned Jasdevasüri (V. S. 1178 / A. D. 1122). His descriptions involve many contemporary social and religious situations. This book, as a result, can also be useful to those who are interested in cultural and comparative studies.
Only one palmleaf manuscript of this work is available, in the Jesalmer Jnanabhandara. Pt. Rupendra Kumar Pagariya of this Institute has edited the work on the basis of this single manuscript, and has prefixed an extensive introduction to it. The Institute is deeply indebted to him for his scholarly efforts in editing, spreading as it did over several years.
This work, hopefully, will be useful to the students of medieval marrative literature and culture.
2-11-99, Ahmedabad.
Jitendra Shah
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
