Sambodhi 1996 Vol 20

SR No.: 520770
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jitendra B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 220
Language: English, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Gujarati
Classification: Magazine, India_Sambodhi, & India
File Size: 7 MB

Page 218

210
NARAYAN M. KANSARA
SAMBODHI
portion of the Ardhamāgadhi canonical works of the Svetāmbara Jains. In the Section 1, variant readings from the palm-leaf and paper Mss. are noted sūtra-wise in a number of tables under different titles along with similar old word-forms from the published four other older Ardhamāgadhi texts to have the idea of how far the older word-forms could be traced. The analytical study of these tables amply proves that with the passage of time and due to the migration of the Jains from the East to the West, the original Ardhamāgadhī word-forms were replaced by later younger (Mahārāstrī) word-forms, may be due to uncarefulness or with the purpose of making the language intelligible to the readers of the time. But this liberty became detrimental to the preservation of the original character of the language of Lord Malāvīra and his Gandhras who had preached in the East India centuries before the Christian Era started. Additionally, in Section II, there are variants of some words froin older Ardhamāgadhi texts, their Prakrit Cūrnis and Sanskrit Vrittis which strengthen the above conclusion. This study clearly demonstrates that although older word-forms are found scattered in the Mss. and in various editions of the Ardhamāgadhi texts, is it not advisable at this stage, now, to replace the currently accepted word-forms by the older word-forms, in the new editions to be published herefter? Although this study is not complete in itself, it being only a beginning, we need a further scanning of older word-forms from all the available Mss. of the Ardhamāgadhi canonical works in order to help the editors in restroing the original character of the Ardhamāgadhi language of Mahāvīra and his Gandharas. It is hoped that the Jain acāryas and eminent scholars would move forward in this direction for bringing out a critical edition of the Ardhamāgadhi works. This is a true piece of research work and Dr. Chandra is to be congratulatied for this treatise which shows his brilliant scholarship and meticulous care. In making a general estimate of the author's achievement as a editor one feels the difficulty of avoiding superlatives, which are amply justified in this particular case. He has thouroughly ransacked the different readings of the text and has tried his best to find out the original older readings. To find out the original oldest readings of the cannonical texts of the Śvetāmbara Jain canon is a herculean task and requires a painstaking and penetrating scientific outlook with a good background of linguistic insight. It is true indeed that one must take into account the Inscriptional Prakrits and Päli in this respect, but they should not be taken as the only guiding factors for the older specimens of Ardhamāgadhī, since sometime this latter language shows greater affinity with old Persian than with classical Sanskrit. However, Dr. Chandra has shown the way for the future scholaas to carry out the research work for a niissing link. N.M.K. THE SAMKHYA-YOGA AND THE JAIN THEORIES PARIŅĀMA by the Late Indukalaben H. Jhaveri. Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 1990, pp. IX + 192. Rs.30/-. This work is a doctoral dissertation of the author prepared under the guidance of Professor R.C. Parikh and approved by the Gujarat University a few decades ago. The thesis was lying unpublished so long, but it was taken up for publication by the university with the cooperation of the Charitable Trust registered in memory of the late Dr. Indukalaben