Agam 05 Ang 05 Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra Part 02

Author(s): Bechardas Doshi, Amrutlal Bhojak
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 34

INTRODUCTION
mss. There will be no difficulty in accepting such enlarged readings if they are available even in a single ms. But if no ms. yields the enlarged readings, we record them in foot-notes. Refer to foot-note 2 on p. 613. Besides the mss. utilised by us, other four old mss. too yield the abridged readings.
At one place we could not find in the mss. of the Bhagavatīsūtra the reading available in the Āgamodaya Samiti edition. But we found it in one tripātha ms. of the Bhagavatīsūtra with the Vrtti. Hence we have accepted it in the body of the text. Only occasionally we have consulted this tripātha ms.
From all this it becomes quite clear that while critically editing an old text if one feels the necessity of consulting other works, he should consult not only the printed editions of those works but also their old mss.
The first part of the Viyahapannattisutta = the Bhagavatīsūtra (pp. 1-484) has already been published in 1974 A.D. The second part (pp. 485-1070) in the form of the present book is being published. The remaining portion of the text (pp. 1071-1187) is included in the third part which will be published shortly as the printing of the text of the Bhagavatīsūtra has already been completed.
There is no doubt about it that the publication of this very important Agama will become more useful if the word index and other indices giving valuable information are added to it. Though the task of preparing indices is time-consuming and exacting, due to the grace of the Late Agamaprabhākara Munirāja Śrī Punyavijayaji, I feel I shall be able to accomplish it singlehanded.
Readers are requested to read each part after making corrections in the text as per śuddhipatraka given at the end.
portant ning valuable information are and exacting, due to the grace
Acknowledgements :
Before many years, while doing editing work with Agamaprabhākara Muni Sri Punyavijayaji, I acquired proficiency in understanding Prakrit language of the Caritra works. At that time I said to him, "Sir, I experience no difficulty in understanding the language of the Caritra works but I am unable to understand the language of the Agamasutra. I earnestly request you to take up some Āgamasūtra for critically editing so that I may learn the language of the Agamas at your feet and have an experience in editing the Agama texts." He said, "Well, your wish will be fulfilled in due course".
His prophetic words came true in 2017 V.S. when the Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya instituted the Jaina Agama Series to publish