________________ Foreword It gives me much delight to get this occasion of writing a short foreword to the present edition of Ratnas'ekharasuri's Sirisirivalakaha undertaken by my pupil Vadilal Jivabhai Chokshi. B. A. (Hons). I was eagerly waiting for such an occasion for a long time ever since I began teaching Ardha-Magadhi in the Gujarat College in 1923. Mr. Chokshi has made a very appropriate selection as the book is one of the most important books in the story literature in Ardha-Magaahi of the Jainas, and if the present edition receives a warm. reception at the hands of the college-students and the general public, as it is expeoted to do, not only the editor will look upon his efforts as amply rewarded, but the students and scholars will get a sort of confidence and stimulus to do vigorous critical and original work in Ardha-Magadhi which is a keen necessity of the day on account of several reasons. The Yas'ovijayji Jaina Granthamala, the Agamodaya Samiti, the Atmananda Jaina Sabha, the Sanatana Jaina Granthamala, the Arhatamataprabhakara Karyalaya and many other institutions have done and are doing an invaluable service to the spread and popularity of the Jaina Literature and Philosophy in Ardha-magadhi and Sanskrit. The editions brought out by these institutions have generally been authorita
