Jain Journal 2003 07

SR No.: 520151
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2003
Total Pages: 64
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 4 MB

Page 17

JAIN JOURNAL : VOL-XXXVIII, NO.1 JULY 2003
But, Nahar's three parts of the Jaina inscriptions does not deal with the epigraphs of Karnataka at large.
The first part of the Prācīna Jaina Lekha Sangraha, edited by Hiralal Jain, has the preface of Nathuram Premi, whereas the second and third parts, edited by Vijayamurti are crowned with the preface of Hiralal Jain. Part 2 of the series was published in 1952, 14 years after the first part. The Manikchand Jaina Granthamala of Mumbai of which Nathuram Premiji was the General Secretary, has published these volumes.
Some of the observations made by Hiralal Jain are worth pondering: “These inscriptions have a peculiar interest for the historian in so far as all of them are associated in one way or another with the Jain Religion. Interest in historical researches has of late been awakended in almost all the important communities in India and it is a happy augury of the times that the Directors of the Manika Chandra Digambara Jaina Granthamala have decided to included in their distinguished series a set of volumes bringing together in a handy form, all the known inscriptions of the Digambara Jains, thus facilitating the work of the future Jain Historian. It was thought suitable and convenient to strart this series with a volume of Shravanabelogala inscriptions and the work was entrusted to me.” (infra)
"The present edition is based upon the above mentioned two editions. It has, thus, nothing new to offer to the scholars, but to the general reader, who is interested in Jain history but who for one reason or another cannot go to the previous costly editions in Roman and Kanarese charcters, this edition has a few advantages. The text of the inscriptions is here presented for the first time in Devanagari characters, the numbers of the insciptions in the previous two editions have been given and the verses have been numbered to facilitate reference; the sustance of the inscriptions having portions of Kanarese in them has been given in Hindi; all the important information about Shravanabelagola and its surroundings as contained in the previous two editions is given in the introduction and the historical importance of the inscriptions from the Jain point of view is more throughly discussed and the index of the names of Jain monks, poets and works has been seperated from the general index" [Hiralal Jain : 1928: "Intro" IX-X).