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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
preparing a critical edition of the Bhāgavata, which is the most popular Purāņa for the Vaisnavas. Prof. R. C. Parikh, the Director of the Institute, planned the entire project in 1951. In 1953 Brahmachri Wadi Trust undertook the project on behalf of the B. J. Institute and appointed Shri Vishnudev S. Pandit in 1955 to locate the various versions of the Bhägavata. The institute started to collect select MSS of the Purāņa. It also requested the Union Government to sanction adequate financial grant for preparing and publishing the critical edition of the Bhagavata. Index cards were prepared for collecting data from the known MSS of the Bhāgavata in India and abroad. Prof. N. K. Bambhania undertook to note variant readings from the outstanding commentaries. In 1961 Prof. R. C. Parikh and Prof. D. R. Mankad were appointed General Editors of the project. Shri V. S. Pandit recorded successive lines of verses given in the Kumbhakonam edition selected as the vulgate in sets of ruled sheets. Meanwhile, the institute also collected MSS of the Bhāgavata from Chhani, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Baroda and other places in Gujarat. Microfilm of one MS was acquired from Paris through Priyabala Shah. The Institute also pursued to request the Union Government for grant-in-aid, but it yielded no concrete result even after the lapse of a pretty long period. Meanwhile Dr. D. R. Mankad expired in 1970 and the institute appointed Dr. H. G. Shastri in his place as the joint General Editor with Prof. R. C. Parikh.
Prof. R. C. Patikh retired as Director in 1968, but continued to take an active part in this project till his demise in 1982. Meanwhile Dr. H. G. Shastri officiated as Director till his retirement in 1979. He was succeeded by Dr. P. C. Parikh as Director, but he continued to function as Chief Editor of this project. The Institute continued to appeal the State Government for the grant-in-aid throughout, and the State Government of Gujarat sanctioned the necessary grant-in-aid in 1985. The Institute appointed a fresh Editorial Board with Dr. K. K. Shastri, Dr. H, G. Shastri and Dr. Bharati K. Shelat as General Editors in 1985. The approval of the grant by the State Government gave an impetus to execute the project through the appointment of an administrative officer in 1988. Dr. S. K. Dave, who officiated as the administrative officer, expedited the work of acquiring MSS on loan or procuring zerox copies and microfilm copies of MSS from other states of India. The collators were trained by Dr. Bharati Shelat in noting readings from different regional scripts. She also undertook to officiate as the Executive Editor with fulltime supervision of the work. Dr. K. K. Shastri and Dr. P. C. Parikh also took keen interest in procuring some additional MSS and funds. When the latter retired in March, 1997 Dr. Bharati Shelat was appointed Director. Meanwhile Dr. S. K. Dave expired in 1990 and the Institute appointed Dr. Balaji Ganorkar in his place. He procured a microfilm copy of the earliest extant MS (DI) of the Bhāgavata
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(2113114 : Buissiez, 2000-421, 2009
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