Jain Journal 1992 04

SR No.: 520106
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1992
Total Pages: 70
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 4 MB

Page 19

208
Bhandars" unquestionably shows how much Bühler identified himself with the Jains.
JAIN JOURNAL
Buhler, however, was unable to pursue his quest to identify and catalog Jain manuscripts. His health continued to fail and in 1881 he left India, never to return. He accepted a position at the University of Vienna where he actively continued to do research on Sanskrit topics until his untimely death in a boating accident in 1898.
The activities of Bühler connected with the searches for Sanskrit manuscripts which resulted in the assembling of the largest governmentsponsored collection of Sanskrit manuscripts in India were the most important contribution he made while in India. However they were not the only work he did on behalf of Sanskrit scholarship. Soon after the searches began he raised the question of the Government of India about what courses of action he might have if he found duplicates of titles already in the Bombay Sanskrit Collection. The Government of India saw no problem in his acquiring these duplicates for other libraries, provided that he secured their permission. Five times during his career he received requests from others to acquire such titles. Four of the five requests were for Jain works.
The first such request came in 1873 for the Königlich Bibliothek in Berlin. Over the next several years Bühler sent 500 Jain manuscripts to the Berlin Library. Although most of these titles were purchased by the Berlin Library, Bühler, ever concerned about completeness of holdings also donated elusive works which completed holdings he had purchased on its behalf earlier. In 1874 the Asiatic Society of Bengal asked Bühler if he would acquire titles for them. However during the time it took to get Government of India permission to allow him to undertake such work the Society lost interest and no titles were ever sent to Calcutta. In 1875 E. B. Cowell at Cambridge and Sir Monier-Williams at Oxford both asked for Jain works. Bühler sent them the titles they wanted for their respective university libraries. These requests represented the enrichment of western libraries of Jain manuscripts.
In addition to the efforts to help develop the holdings of Jain manuscripts in western libraries, individuals also got access to Jain manuscripts. In 1869 Theodor Goldstücker, University College, London, asked if three newly-acquired manuscripts might be sent to him for consultation. Bühler secured permission for this and launched an