Tulsi Prajna 1992 07

SR No.: 524571
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Parmeshwar Solanki
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1992
Total Pages: 154
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India
File Size: 8 MB

Page 111

Vol. XVIII, No. 2
sect (Une secte religieuse dans I (Inde contemporaine", Etudes, mars 1951, p. 343-351) and showed his interest in Jainism.
2. Important Catalogues of Prakrit Literature.
Catalogues are the wealth of information for scholars on the basis of which they try to point out different aspects of culture of the particular period. It is perhaps Buhler who published the first catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Mss1. (Wien, 1881). Peterson then gave four detailed reports of operations in search of Sanskrit Mss. in the Bombay Circle between 1882 to 1894 in which he referred to the works as Kumārapālapratibodha, Paumacariya, etc. Likewise, R. G. Bhandarakara's "Report on the search for Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Bombay Presidency during the year 1882-83', G. Buhler's "Two Lists of Sanskrit Mss. together with some remarks on my connection with the search for Sanskrit Mss. "4, A Weber's Verzeichniss des Sanskrit und Prakrit Hand schriften der koniglichen Bibliothek zu Berlin"5, A Th. Aufrecht's "Florentine Sanskrit Manuscripts examined", Pulle's "The Florentine Jaina Manuscripts," Leumann's "A List of the Strassburg collection of Digambaras Manuscripts", etc. may be referred here which pave the way for the researches. Buhler rightely emphasizes the importance of Jaina litera ture after having a perspective at its descriptive catalogues saying that
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"In a grammar, in astronomy as well as in all branches of belles letters, the achievements of the Jainas have been so great that even their opponents have taken notice of them and that some of their works are of importance for European science even to-day. In the south of India where they have worked among the Dravidian peoples, they have also promoted the development of these languages. The Kanarese, Tamil and Telugu literary languages rest on the foundations created by the Jaina monks. Though this activity has led them far away from their own particular aims, yet it has secured for them an important place in the history of Indian literature and civilizatoin. "9
Systematic efforts have been made to preserve the hand written Mss. at several centres like Madras, Calcutta, Benaras, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Mysore, Tanjore, Pattan, Poona etc. The Goverment also showed a keen interest to protect the valuable material by giving splendid help in the from of financial assistance. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural affairs, Goverment of India, a seminar on Manuscriptology and texual criticism headed by Dr. P. L. Vaidya was held at Bangalore in