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years, efforts have been made to bring it within easy reach of a wider section of readers, and versions in Hindi, some exhaustive and others in summary form, have made their appearance. Besides, some studies based on portions of this Sutra have appeared in English language. This is a very timely move in the right direction. It indicates that an ever-increasing number of scholars are getting interested and involved in working on this Sūtra. But so far, the complete text of the Bhagavati Sūtra has not been printed through the medium of English.
So when it came to our knowledge that Professor K. C. Lalwani who has already done some translation work on the Jaina Canons is working on the Bhagavati Sūtra, we considered it worth our while to undertake its publication from our Research Centre. As both the parties readily agreed, the work of its production and publication in book form has been taken up by us to fit in with the very auspicious occasion of the 2500th nirvana anniversary of Bhagavān Mahāvira late next year. In view of the enormity of the work, however, we have decided to put up the first volume comprising the first two Sataka's of the original a little ahead of the anniversary date, but on no less an auspicious day than that of Mahāvīra Jayanti of the year 1973. Meanwhile the work of translation of the remaining Sataaks of the Sūtra and seeing it through the Press will continue арасе.
