Jaina Granth Bhandars in Rajasthan

SR No.: 011017
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kasturchand Kasliwal
Publisher: Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Mandir
Publication Year: 1967
Total Pages: 394
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 243

Jaina Granths Bhandars in Rtjasthan,
226
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Nära Candra Sori is one of them. The manuscripts written by the nonJaina Scholars are safe in Jaina Bhandars and some earlist manuscripts written by them are also preserved. There are hundreds of Kávyas, some of them are of high order, Campu literature written by Jaina Scholars can be compared with the works written by non-jalna authors. In the field of scientific literature also such as Grammer, Jyotisa and Ayurveda, the contributions of Jaina scholars are of great importance and require thorough research,
As regards Apabhraṁsa literature, mostly the Jaina works hold the field. In order to have a correct knowledge of the development of Hindi literature, works written in Apabhramśa have to be studied. Works written by the great poets like Svayambhu, Puspadang, Vira, Nayanandı, Amar Kirti, Dhanpal, Sricandra, Hemcandra, Dhabila and Raidhu etc., cannot be ignored as their works are masterpieces of this language. Apabhraíśd was popular for about 6 to 7 hundred years. About 30 years ago there was a notion that whole of the Apabhraíśa literature has been either destroyed or has disappeared. 'But this presumption of the scholars was made without seeing the Jaina Grantha Bhandārs. Now all the scholars have admitted the importance of this literature and are trying to study it. Besides 8 to 10 works which have been published more than 100 are still unpublished. Then there is also a great scope for research in this sphere of literature.
As regard Hindi, Rajasthani and other provincial languages, the Jainascholars equally shared in the enhancement of literature. There were Jaina scholars who took initiative in writing their works in Hindi, They wrote Hindi works when writing in Hindi was looked down by the scholars. If the Svayambhu's work "Paumcariu" is admitted as the first Hindi poem then it was from 8th century.that Jaina scholars began to sci ve Hindi. There are several Jaina scholars who wrote masterpiece work in those days. In the Jaina Sastra Bhandārs of Rajasthän and and specially in the Bhandars of Jaipur, Ajmer and Nāgaur, Bikaner and Udaipur a large literature written in Hindi and Rajasthāni language is avallable. These works have not been properly classified. The oldest work written in Brijbhasa is Pradyumna Carita, wiitten by a Jaina scholar in Saṁwat 1411 i. e. 1354 A. D. Older than thus no work has been found so far written in Brya language. In the same way Jinadatta Carita, a work of 1296 A. D. has just been discovered in a Jaina Granth Bhandar of Jaipur. It is the brst work in which date of composition is given. There are several works written by Jaina scholars on subjects like story and other allied subjects. If we count the Hindi works written by Jaina scholars, the dumber will not be loss that one thousand. In this way there is a great scope for research on this side also. It is certain that without taking these works into coasıderation the tree history of Hindi and Rajasthani cannot be written and for such a research, in the Jaina Grantha Bhandars