________________ Some of the opinions of distinguished scholars 1. "Durch den von Ihnen behandelten kanonischen Niksepa.... wird auf den "klassischen" Niksepa der Nijjuttis ein ganz neues Licht geworfen,.... Ich bewundere den ungeheuren Fleiss, mit dem Sie aus der riesigen Textmasse das Material zusammengesucht haben, und den Scharfsinn, mit dem Sie es ordnen und darbieten." The late Prof. Dr L. ALSDORE, Hamburg (from personal letter) "The student of purely scholastic material cannot rely on established methods. He has to find his way without a compass. Mr. Bhatt has entered this impervious territory and has succeeded in finding means of orientation. This may be a stimulus for analogous studies in related areas." Prof. Dr. K.BRUHN, Berlin-West (from FOREWORD in this book) "... the systematic study of recurring subjects becomes an auxiliary discipline for Jaina philology, and Bhatt's study is no doubt an important step in this direction. .... It is hoped that Bhatt's study ... will not only facilitate the proper understanding of the strange niksepas but also help to focus interest on the entire area and its peculiarities." Prof. Dr. K. BRUHN, Berlin-West (Journal of Indian Philosophy, Boston 1979) "Durch diese neue Art dialektischer Grundlagenforschung ... ist die Arbeit ein wichtiger Beitrag zur gedanklichen und formalen Bestand saufnahme einer Traditionsmasse." Prof. Dr. W.B. Bollee, Heidelberg (ZDMG, Wiesbaden 1979) 5. "Bhatt's work quotes at length and analyses all the material that he has been able to collect from canonical works." THE late Prof. Dr. T. BURROW, Oxford (University of London: Bulletin, London 1979) 6. "Your thesis interested me much more than I ever possibly expected. I am very much appreciating its originality as well as your perfect command of great erudition... Prof. Dr. Mme. C. CAILLAT, Paris (from personal letter) "Celles-ci evrait interesser d'autres lecteurs que les specialistes dujinisme : ils sauront gre a l'erudition discreteet secourable de M. Bhatt, qui, d'un procede scolastique, a sufaire le sujet d'un livre original et de plusieurs chapitres captivants." Prof. Dr. Mme. C. CAILLAT, Paris (Journal Asiatique, Paris 1983) "...your highly learned and thorough book on "The Canonical Niksepa" ... is evidently a very important contribution in this still rather unexpected area Prof. Dr. W. HALBFASS, Philadelphia (from personal letter) "Bhatt's book is composed with great care.... This book has to be read with a great deal of attention but the effort taken by the reader will be fully rewarded. An important aspect of canonical Jaina scholasticism is for the first time demonstrated and analysed in an exemplary way. We cannot but concur with Klaus Bruhn who in his foreword expresses the wish that Bhatt's book may be a stimulus for analogous studies in related areas." Prof. Dr. J.W. DE JONG, Canberra (Indo-Iranian Journal, Holland 1980) 10. "Dr. Bhatt is to be congratulated for his extensive study of the Jaina Canons... He ... has classified and analysed the material in a scientific manner. This is the first attempt of its kind and the scholars interested in Indological research, especially the Jainological research, will be grateful to Dr. Bhatt for his laborious and intelligent task." Pt. D.D. MALVANIA, Ahmedabad (Sambodhi, Ahmedabad 1980) 1. "... Dr. Bhatt (is) an outstanding scholar whom the Free University of Berlin awarded the Doctorate with "summa cum laude". ... Dr. Bhatt appears to be well-known among German Indologists from whom we have received a number of favourable comments on his scholarship. ... his scholarly work is highly thought of in Germany. ... in Dr. Bhatt ... qualifications ... are obviously above average." Cultural Attache, Embassy of the West Germany in New Delhi. (personal communication) BHARATIYA VIDYA PRAKASHAN Oriental Publishers & Booksellers 1-U.B., Jawahar Nagar Post Box No. 1108 Bungalow Road Kachauri Gali Delhi - 110007 (India) Varanasi - 221001 Call : 2521570 Call : 65965 I.S.B.N. No. -- 81-217-00906 Rs. 300/