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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
9. 10.
system. In the introductory part of the Jaina Purana, therefore, is generally given an outline of the structure of the universe and other cosmographic details. (ii) Cāmundarāya in the introductory part of his Purāna (Bangalore, 1928) states that such Puranas or the Prathamānuyoga create or enkindle the Right Faith among the laity. (i) Vide Alsdorf, Loc.cit. (ii) He also remarks here that much of the Jaina cosmographic details is quite worthless and meaningless mass. (iii) But behind all this, we should note, there was the Jaina objective. Mysore, 1959. (i) It may be noted in this context that unlike the authors of the Jaina Mahapurānas, who provide a brief Jaina cosmographic sketch at the introductory part of their works, the authors of these Kathakośas as well as those of the Jaina religious novels, tales and kāvayas etc., presuppose an acquaintance of Jaina cosmography on the part of their readers. This could be for the reason that by the time of the appearance of such Jaina narrative works, the readers scem to have been accustomed to collecting some basic cosmographic knowledge from one or other monograph on Jaina Cosmography. (ii) It is so very interesting to note that Karnataka had a good tradition of Jaina Cosmographic studies. My scrutiny of the Kannada Prāntiya Tadapatriya Granthasuci (Ed. Pt. Bhujabali Shastri, Kashi, 1948) has revealed the following facts : (a) A number of Mss of the Tiloya-pannatti (Yativrsabha), the Tiloyasāra (of Nemicandra), the Jambuddiva-pannatti
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