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It is a great audacity and a grave act of arrogance to discard verses (even if they contain interpolations) based solely on one's own imagination or mere preference, without properly determining whether they contain interpolations or not. Therefore, Nagasaheb's actions are not commendable. While discarding these verses, you did not consider that many of them are found in texts from centuries ago, mentioned under the name of Swami Samantabhadra. You also did not consider that discarding verses like "Shravakpadani Devaih" diminishes the importance and subject matter of other verses. Moreover, there are many commentaries on the Ratnaranḍaka in Sanskrit, Kannada, etc., which contain all these verses in their original form. Therefore, I should have exercised more caution. Indeed, Nagasaheb has made a grave mistake by doing so. However, it is good that you finally realized your mistake and expressed regret for your folly, vowing, "I will not publish any future edition of this text with such deficient verses."
Despite all this, you still have doubts about many verses in the text. In one letter, you even inform us that "many people suspect interpolations, but there is no concrete evidence." This statement clearly indicates that you or your friends have no concrete basis (proof) to label the verses that Nagasaheb has labeled as "interpolations" as such. Therefore, all this is just mere suspicion. However, after reading this preface along with the Sanskrit commentary on the text, it is hoped that your and your friends' doubts will be dispelled to a great extent. This is why this investigation is being undertaken.
A version of the Ratnaranḍaka Shravakachar was also published by the General Secretary of the South Maharashtra Jain Sabha (Professor Anna Saheb Babaji Ladhe), along with a Marathi translation. * See "Jainbodhak," Year 32, Issue 6. We learned this name from a letter from Pandit Nana Ramchandraji Nag. Along with...