Book Title: Agam 24 Chhed 01 Nishith Sutra Part 01 Sthanakvasi
Author(s): Amarmuni, Kanhaiyalal Maharaj
Publisher: Amar Publications
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prominent place in Jain exegetical and scholastic literature. I have attempted to give here the gist of the rules and regulations laid down for the saints both niale and female, alongwith the exceptions (apavāda); those who want to approach the study of Niśitha Cūrņi in more details, have a fertile field before them. The work is a mine of information about the social, political, and historical situation, the study of which will be an independent work for research on the model of Yaśastila ka and Indian Culture by Handiqui.
I donot know how I should express my thanks to the modern savant of Jain literature, Kavi Upadhyāya Amar Muniji for his readiness to ask me to write in brief the contents of the NiśithaCūrņi. His blessings will prove a powerful incentive to me for my future studies in Jainism. I only wish I should have colie up to his expectation Further, Mr. Kishor Chand Jain, proprietor of Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, Delhi and Varanasi, deserves special mention here because, without his initiative I wonder whether I could have done the present humble work -a brief Introduction to the basic tenets of Jain Asceticism.
The foregoing pages embody the summary of the ideas, rules, principles, not excluding dogmas contained in the niśītha sūtra, Bhāşya and Cūrņi. The principles mainly pertaining to the code of conduct for the ascetics are contained in the above-mentioned works In support of the principles references are made in the Introduction, and sometimes in the footnotes. In order to avoid the inevitable repetitions in these three works the gist is discussed and the adequate reference has been made.
In the ācāsānga the rules in their positive and negative aspects have been collected in an elaborate manner. But with the development of the community (Sangha) there emerged some difficulties in observing the fundamental principles due to the various factors, such as area, time and prevailing conditions. In event of any violation of the basic priaciples of conduct, there
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