Jain Journal 1971 10

SR No.: 520024
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1971
Total Pages: 45
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 12

JAIN JOURNAL
her far more indifferent to and detached from the worldly affairs. She sought to take diksā and become a nun. But the question was : What to do with Manilal ? However, the desired happened and Manilal also developed an attitude and temperament to be consecrated as a monk. Muni Sri Caturvijayji initiated him into monkhood. Within three days, after the son thus took to monkhood assuming the new name of Punyavijaya, the mother also became a nun and was called Sadhvi Ratansri. Thereafter mother and son both lived in the fold, serving the Jaina faith and liberating their lives from karma.
Following the traditions of collection and research into the field of oriental learning, laid down by his Guru's Guru Sri Kanakvijayji and his Guru Sri Caturvijayji, he edited the Sanskrit play called Kaumudi Mitrānanda, a drama of Muni Ramacandra, in 1917, just within eight years of his dikşā paryāya. Thereafter during the last 54 years, he edited, collected and published several important works of many Acaryas of the earlier times. Brhatkalpabhāsya which he edited jointly with his Guru Muni Caturvijayji with niryukti and tikā was published in 6 volumes between the years 1933 and 1942. This was one of the most important works of Munisri. Among his other works which impressed the scholars in the country and abroad can be mentioned Vasudevahindi, Nandisūtra, Angaviijā, Jitakalpasūtra, Pavitrakalpasūtra, Kirtikaumudi, Yogašatakam, Ramašatakam, Nighanțušeşa and Akhyāņaka-Maņikoşa, etc. His two volumes of the Catalogue of Palm-leaf Manuscripts and three volumes of Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts provide valuable references for scholars. The last but not the least in the series of his contributions was the editing of the Jaina Agamas. It was at his initiative that the Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya of Bombay undertook a project to publish critical texts of the Jaina Agamas under the joint editorship of himself and Prof. Dalsukh Malvania. This scheme would epitomise the vast collection of his works. It was indeed a very comprehensive and bold scheme to revise the text of the Jaina canonical literature in the light of the new materials now available as a result of recent research. As is well-known, the last vācanā of the Āgamas was carried out nearly 1500 years ago under the guidance of Sri. Devardhi Gani Ksamasramana. It was in recognition of this great undertaking that the Jaina community honoured him with the title of “Agama Prabhakara', although he never cared for any title or epithet as he did not even accept the title of 'Suri' and 'Ācārya'. Work was his worship and was the greatest reward by itself. In 1959, Muniji was elected President of the sectional conference on History and Ancient Indian Culture on the occassion of the twentieth session of the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad at Ahmedabad and two years later, he was elected President of the Prakrit