________________
II. (Inaugural Speech
4. THE OTHER VOICES
- Prof. Radha Vallabh Tripathi, New Delhi
I am grateful to the organisers of this wonderful event, although I am also a part of the organiser, being head of the Institution - the Rastriya Sanskrit Sansthan - that is a joint collaborator of this seminar. I also understand that my presence in this session is just ornamental. I am in no way a specialist of Prakrit language and literature. I am here because of Prof. Prem Suman Jain insisted on my joining this session. And I am also here because of one more reason.
I have visited this holy place the last year on 14th of June to deliver the Convocation lecture for the Bahubali Prakrit Institute. His Holiness Swastishri Charukirti Bhattaraka Swamiji was very kind to me and I felt very enlightened by his learned discourse. It is because of a holy man like him that I felt inclined to visit this place for the second time.
I take this opportunity to appreciate the immense efforts made by my esteemed colleague, Prof. Prem Suman Jain for advancement of Prakrit studies at this prestigious Institute. It is because of him that the efflorescence here breaths with immense possibilities.
It so happened that about one month before this first visit of mine, on tenth of May, 2009, I was invited to deliver a lecture on the valedictory session of a seminar organised by BLII at New Delhi. The Seminar was on the way of life according to Jainism. In one of the presentations, that I had the opportunity to hear, a scholar informed about the way of life adopted by a reverend Jain Muni of our times. The Muni has taken a vow not to use more than 4 liters of water in a day, that is- 24 hours. This included the water
- 17 -
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
