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perspective. We hope it would be immensely helpful in convincing the scholars and specially the Jain Monastic Order as to why the particular readings have been accepted and the others rejected (from the linguistic point of view). We believe that it is a step towards restoring tentatively the original form of the archaic language-speech that was spoken by Šramana Bhagawan Mahāvira. At the same time we are conscious enough that the re-edited text in question is not the last word but still research in this field is to be carried on by minutely going through a number of other Mss. and cūrnis which still preserve the archaic character of the language here and there.
Our Society is highly grateful to Pt. Shri Dalsukhbhai Malvaniya, doyen of Agamic studies and Prof. H. C. Bhayani, doyen of Prakrit studies for giving incentive as well as guiding the author for undertaking this kind of unparalalled work of historic importance, an epoch-making in the field of editing senior Ardhamăgadhi canonical texts.
We are also grateful to all the scholars and professors who could spare their precious time in expressing their Opinions and writing Reviews of the texts published, as mentioned above, relating to the Ardhamägadhi Prākrta, namely, the professors A.M. Ghatage , Pune, G. V. Tagare, Sangli, Nathmal Tatia, Ladnun, S.R. Banerjee, Calcutta, J.P. Thaker, Baroda, Shriranjansuridev and R.P. Poddar, Patna, M.A.Dhaky, Sagarmal Jain and S.C. Pandey, Varanasi, Sohanlal Patni, Sirohi, N. M. Kansara, Ahmedabad and a number of other professors.
We sincerely express our sense of gratitude to the Shreshthi Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi, its trustees and the late Managing Trustee Shri Almarambhai Sutaria who became instrumental in financing our earlier publications and this publication also in its initial stage of preparation from
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