Mahavira Jayanti Smarika 1975

SR No.: 014031
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bhanvarlal Polyaka
Publisher: Rajasthan Jain Sabha Jaipur
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 446
Language: English, Hindi
Classification: Seminar & Articles
File Size: 11 MB

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Hindi translations of all these texts and English translations of some of these texts have also been published. Amongst the later works on Jain Philosophy, the Tattvartha Sutra by Uma Swati (or Umaswami) in the first century AD. is the most important one both from the point of view of its exhaustive treatment and its authority being equally acceptable to Shvetambers and Digambers.
In the first few centuries decade of the Christian era, the logical explana. tion of the Jain Philosophy was the main theme of the Jain writers of both the sects. Acharya Samantbhadra, Pujyapada, Akalanka, Vidyananda, Prabhachandra of the Digamber tradition and Acharya Siddhasena, Jinabhadra, Haribhadra, Hemachandra, (12th century A.D.) and Yashovijaya (as late as 17th century A.D.) of the Shvetamber sects contributed to the development of Jain Logic, which is considered to be as important as the Logic of Buddhists and other schools of Indian Philosophy.
The Jains have their own system of Yoga or practice of meditation. A vast literature is also available on the Jain Yoga. Besides the miscellaneous information about the Jain Yoga in the canonical literature itself, books by Acharya Kundakunda, Jinabhadra, Haribhadra, Hamachandra, Yashovijaya, etc. treat the subject in detail. The practical techniques of developing the latent psychical faculties through meditation, however, were almost thrown into oblivion in the middle ages, but is being revived now-a-days by the eminent Jain Yogis.
Books of Literary Value
Although most of the canonical texts deal with metaphysical and ethical discussions and are in prose of not very interesting style, a few canonical works in poetry offer valuable material of literary interest. Also, the later Jain Acharyas have composed some masterpiece works both in prose and poetry. The Puranic literature of the Digamber tradition in the Apabhramsa language, and some poetic works of the Jain poets such as Siddhasena Diwakar, Haribhadra Suri, Hemachandra, may be rentioned to illustrate the Jains' contribution to the lore of ancient Indian literature. Also some works in regional languages such as Kannada, Tamil, Gujrati and Rajasthani have added remarkable beauty to the literature of these languages. Science and Mathematics
.. The lore of sacred books of the Jains are equally important for their elaborate information about the scientific concepts of the Jains. The Jains have their own theories about many of the scientific subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy etc. The atomic theory, the cosmology, the structure of matter and energy, the fundamental structure of living beings, genetics, the concept of space and time, the theory of relativity, the alchemy, the medical sciences etc. are