Gyananjali Punyavijayji Abhivadan Granth

SR No.: 012058
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ramnikvijay Gani
Publisher: Sagar Gaccha Jain Upashray Vadodara
Publication Year: 1969
Total Pages: 610
Language: Gujarati, Hindi, English
Classification: Smruti_Granth & Articles
File Size: 15 MB

Page 588

અભિવાદન
Reorganisation of Bhandaras is a silent but great service which the Musiji has been rendering for the last few decades, over and above his other activities of editing etc. He has reorganised and catalogued several Bhandāras at Baroda, Chbabi, Patan, Ahmedabal, Cambay, Bhavnagar, Limbdi, Jesalmer etc. He has deposited one copy of the Catalogue in each Bhandāra ard has kept one eopy with him so that any scholar approaching bim firds it very conrepient to refer to the lists of mes, of several such Bhandāras. And now, he is also preparing indices of such crtalogues according to the subjects of the texts and so on.
He has a kpack of rearranging leaves or folios of several manuscripts mixed up together and often tattered to pieces. He would never like to throw awav even a snall broken piece of a folio from any Bhandara. He has the patience and perseverence to save all such pronuscripts and preserve them. All his work is Irat and tidy. He has possibly handled several lakhs of manuscripts during his life tire, perhaps the greatest numrer that any living Indologist could have bordled. So far as undated menuscripts from Gujarat, Rajasthen ard Malwa are concerred, bis assessment of their age seems to be the most reliable.
Like a true monk nurtured in best Indian traditions, he is generous and bas given away as gift bis collection of about ten thousand manuscripts to start the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. Any genuine scholar of any caste or creed, halling from India or abroad can easily obtain from him loan or transcripts or information of manuscripts for his or her research work. He knows that knowledge is not one man's monopoly.
When he edits a work like the Bțbatkalpa-bhāsya, the Angavijia or the Vasudevabindi, be prepares and publishes several types of indices of such texts and is quite scientific in editing of texts.
In the words of Dr. Walter Schubing, "His monumental edition of BrbatKalpa-Bbäsya can serve as a model to all those in his country who are preparing the publications of works hitherto unedited."
In the words of Prof. Dr. W. Norman Brown, Agama--Prabhākara Muni Punyavi. jaya is "a worthy representative of the best Indian tradition of learning and teaching." His life's work can be summarised into three successful activities -(1) Organisation of vast collections of nanuscriots, (2) Scholarly production and (3) Scholarly assistance. As Dr. A.N. Updhye aptly puts it "Muniji is more an Ipstitution than an Individual, and his life, characterised by literary activities and religious piety, is quite exemplary." The above remarks contain po exeggeration. There is hardly any scholar who has approached him and returned without receiving the desired help and guidance. Though a Jaina monk by faith, in the preservation and publi. cation of knowledge he bas no sectarian bias or fanaticism. By nature he is very humble, modest, frank and unassuming. Inspite of his many-sided scholarly activity he does not neglect his duties as a Jaina monk towards the laity that approach him with devotion.