Kuvalayamala Part 2

SR No.: 002778
Original Sutra Author: Udyotansuri
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 368
Language: Sanskrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 12 MB

Page 17

XVI
KUVALAYAMALA
As these were his ideas and desires concerning the Series and as every day that passed left me all the more convinced of the fickleness of my advanced life too, it was imperative for us to draw out a scheme for its future programme and management. Just at this time a desire dawned in the heart of Shri Munshiji, to the effect that it the Singhi Jain Series be associated with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavana, both the institutions would not only be admirably progressing but the Series would get permanence and the Bhavan, unique honour and fame by its hereby becoming an important centre for the studies of Jain culture and the publication of Jain literature. This wellintentioned desire of Munshiji was much liked by me and I conveyed it in a proper form to Singhji who was, besides being a Founder-Member of the Bhavan, also an intimate friend of Munshiji since long. Eventually he welcomed this idea. I also came to a final decision of associating the Series with the Bhavan, having consulted my most sincere friend, life-long companion and co-worker, Pt. Sukhlalji, who is a well-wisher and an active inspirer of the Series, and who is also an esteemed friend of Babu Bahadur Singhji. Luckily we all four met in Bombay in the bright half of Vaisakha (V.S. 1999) and on one auspicious day we all sat together and unanimously resolved, at the residence of Munshiji, to entrust the Series to the Bhavan.
According to that resolution, the publication of the Series thereafter began under the management of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan under my sole supervision and direction.
In addition to transferring all sorts of copyright of the Series, Singhji also donated a liberal sum of Rs. 10,000 which will be spent on erecting a hall, to be named after him, in a prominent place in the Bhavan. In appreciation of this generous donation of Singhji, the Bhavan has also resolved to style permanently the Department of Jain Studies as the "Singhi Jain Śästra śikṣāpītha".
In the mean time we considered to purchase for the Bhavan a well-equipped library of a retired professor living in Calcutta, and consequently I was entrusted with the work of making a proper move in the matter. I then went to Calcutta for this very purpose and started negotiations through Singhji with the professor whose demand was somewhere about Rs. 50,000. Singhji asked me just casually as to what arrangement had been made for meeting with the costs. I promptly replied that there was no cause for worry so long as donors like himself were there. He smiled at it with a suppressed sense of satisfaction and also remarked that he had to assume the role of a negotiator for a buyer who he himself was eventually to be. He considered seriously my candid utterance and made up his mind from that moment, luckily of course for the Bhavan, to donate the Library to the Bhavan. He invited the professor concerned to his residence and talked in my presence about the approximate cost of the whole collection which appearing rather more to him and to me, the bargain could not be struck. He himself thereafter suggested to me to go in for the Nahar collection and promised with his usual preparedness to make complete arrangements in due course of time for the same. As was natural with him, he disallowed me at the same time from making known his intentions to any one. From close association with him I very well knew this aspect of his sober mind. This taciturnity of his mind was so much developed that even his sons who are equally able and worthy did not get a clue to his intentions till they were put into practice. But to our great mishap he did not live long enough to present this literary treasure to the Bhavan himself; but his eldest son and my beloved friend, Babu Shri Rajendra Singh has fulfilled his father's wish though he was totally ignorant of it and has got this unique collection for the Bhavan and spent Rs. 50,000 for the purpose.
Singhiji began to take keen interest in the progress and development of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, seeing that it had at last become the centre of research and literary activities of Shri Munshiji and mine. In his last visit to Bombay he had also expressed