________________ Preface and the capacity to take infinite pains which is, as somebody has said, 'the first and the most important quality in a genius'. In him I have found an ideal Professor who has always seen his welfare in the welfare of his students a very high ideal which only few Professors can achieve. Hence it is that I take this opportunity, in this short preface, of paying my homage to my worthy Guru by bending down my head to him in veneration. But the less said the better. Therefore, apart from this digression which can not be helped, I shall come to the subject proper. Although I entertained the idea of editing this book long ago, I was not able to commence the work soon on account of various distractions and difficulties. It was, however, a few months before, that I began the work in right earnest. The chief aim with which I undertook the work was to enable the University students to get copies of it, there being very few copies of it ( published some years ago by the Agamodaya Samiti : Surat ) available in the market. Another consideration which goaded me to do the work was the wide spread popularity and importance of the book in the Jaina world, and the unparalleled greatness of the subject with which it
