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 3

Book Review
PRACIN ARDHA-MAGADHI KI KHOJ-ME by K. R. Chandra, Prakrit Jain Vidya Vikash Fund, Ahmedabad, 1991, Pages 112, Price Rs. 32.00.
This treatise, Präcīn Ardha-Māgadhi ki Khoj.me, 'In Search of the Original Ardha-Magadhi' written in Hindi by K. R Chandra, is one of the finest specimens of research on Ardha-Mågadhi (=Amg.). The author is to be congratulated for taking pains in doing such a productive research work. The main purpose of the author is to find out the original features of Amg. in which the canonical literature of the Svetāmbaras was written,
The book has eight chapters, and a detailed content where each point of the text discussed is indicated. It has a short bibliography as well. But it does not have any word-index.
We are grateful to the author for presenting such a thought-provoking research work. The arguments put forward by the author for finding out the original features of Amg. are praiseworthy. In the debris of different readings, Dr Chandra, intending to find out the original Amg., has compared the Prakrit forms with the Asokan inscriptions and Pali canons, and in his opinion, what corresponds with these two languages must be regarded as the original old readings of the Svetambara canons. He further adds that during the long period of transmission, lots of original readings have undergone changes, sometimes beyond recognition, at the hands of the copyists, and, as a result, we have these confused readings of the Āgama texts. While accepting his arguments, it can also be added that sometimes lack of editorial discipline and grammatical insight may be responsible for these divergent readings. Throughout his book Dr Chandra has put forth a strong argument and a convincing plea for tracing the original readings of the text. He has neither discarded any readings, nor has accepted any one, but has presented all the readings before the scholarly world to apply their power of judgment to select any one for the ori. ginal Amg. In some cases he has also suggested the older readings of the canonical texts.