Dharmaratnakar

SR No.: 090136
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jaysen, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 530
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Religion, & Principle
File Size: 38 MB

Page 10

EDITORIAL
The Dharmaratnakara is quite an extensive text containing more verses in Sanskrit, and a few in Prakrit too, in different metres. It is indeed, as the title indicates, a veritable ocean or a mine of jewels in the form of choice verses, both composed and quoted by the author, for the exposition of religious topics like dana, Sila, sallekhana and pratima. It presents a significant discussion of the duties of a pious householder. In a way, it is an anthology of verses dealing with a number of topics connected with the Jaina way of life prescribed for a householder. A student of sociology might find here some light on certain aspects of the Jaina Sangha in the 10th century A. D.
Jayasena is the author. He has a good mastery over Sanskrit expression. He has studied earlier works in Sanskrit and Prakrit. He quotes from them in plenty to make his exposition of the subject both authoritative and exhaustive. He is an effective teacher and a successful preacher as seen from the way he presents his ideas. He composed this work in A. D. 998; and he is to be distinguished from other Jayasenas known to us, as discussed in the Introduction.
The Dharmaratnakara is being published for the first time; and the Editor has done his best to present the text critically based on the MSS. used by him. The footnotes give synonyms in plenty, and they would be helpful to an intelligent reader.
The Hindi translation was prepared by Pt. Jinadas P. Phadakule and retouched by Pt. Balachandra Shastri while they were working in the Office of the Jaina S. S Sangha, Sholapur, some years back. Pt. Jinadasaji is a mature Shastri with wide reading and fund of information. So his translation often contained visesärtha; but it had to be curtailed now and then by the editor within a reasonable limit of the translation. My thanks are due to both of them.
I sincerely thank Shri V. G. Desai, B.A., Kolhapur. He helped me in prepar ing the press copy and the Indices etc. and also in checking the proofs at one stage.
My thanks are due to Pt. Kailash Chandra Shastri who kindly prepared a Hindi summary of the Introduction in English.
This edition was planned under the advice of my senior colleague, the late lamented Dr. Hiralal Jain. But due to his indifferent health during the last few years I had to carry out the work by myself; and, to my sorrow, he did not live to see it published in the present form.