________________
-were not, owing to several difficulties, able to put down to their credit. Mr. Dalal had won so much confidence and regard of the keepers of these Bhandars that he was allowed to take trauseripts of several Mss to purchase a few for the Central Library and what was more importaut to obtain a loau of original Mss. in case they were required for editing purposes. This careful search of Pattan Mss. brought to light not only many new and important Sanskrit and Prakrit works-both Jaiu aud Brahmuanical-hitherto either unknown or kuowa to have been lost, but also a quite new Apabhrausa literat.ire, which when publishe would help us in writing a grammar of this language, as it is the immediate source of not only Gujarati but of Marathi, Hindi and many other Indian Vernaculars.
It was a result of this search of Mss. at Pattan that his highness the Maharaja sanc. tioned in 1916 the starting of the publication of important Mss. in a series called the "Gaikwar's Oriental Series" and it was to this work that Mr. Dalal devoted all his energies day and night till the last hour of his sudden death. During a period of 2 years aud 9 months į. e. from January 1916 to 3rd October 1918 when he died, Mr. Dalal edited fully or partly
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org