Atmanand Prakash Pustak 049 Ank 05

Author(s): Jain Atmanand Sabha Bhavnagar
Publisher: Jain Atmanand Sabha Bhavnagar

Page 7

ભારતવર્ષની રાજધાનીમાં પ્રાચીન પ્રતાનું પ્રદર્શન. હા
Chandra's Grammar dated 1214 A. D. is also on show. There are other manuscripts from this collection in the Exhibition, the dates of which coincide with the dates of their first composition and these belong to the early part of the 12th century. The manuscript of the NishithaSūtra ( 12th century A. D. ) is the personal copy of the famous Jain pontif Sri Jina Datta Suri.
Of even greater interest are the several manuscripts of old romance literature. e. g. Tilaka-marijarā, of Dhanapala ( 1073 A. D.). Sringāramanjarī by the famous king Bhoja (a beautiful new love romance with a good deal of cultural documentation of the 17th century), Kuvalayamālākaha by Udyotana Sūri ( 1082 A. D.) Väsāvadattā by Subandhu ( 1150 A, D.), Samvega-Ranga-sālā by Jina Chandra Sūri (a new and unpublished story book in prakrit relating to love and renunciation, dated 1150 A. D), Vilăsavatö-kathā in Apabhramấa, Samarāditya-katha (Prakrit, dated 1193 A. D.) and Nirvāna-lilavait (dated 1208 A. D.),
The manuscript of the Nárayani commentary on the NaishadhCharita was written in 1303 A. D., only eight years after its composition. A composite manuscript of 615 palm leaves preserves the whole gamut of Nyaya literature consisting of the Bhashya of Vatsyayana, Värttika of Bhårdvaja, Tātparyatikā by Váchaspati, Tätparyaparisuddhi by Udayana and Nyaya Tippaņaka by Srikantha.
The eutire literature of the Jain Anga texts in Ardhamāgadhi with Prakrit and Sanskrit commentaries is represented in manuscripts written between 1064 and 1174 A. D.
This colloection also shows the oldest paper manuscript so far found in India (dated 1189 A. D.) of a work called Karmagrangtha Tippana.
The longest palm-leaf manuscript in the exhibition is of 34" written in perfectly preserved black ink. Palm leaf was specially imported from Indonesia during the medieval period and was called Sri-tala Each leaf has four or eight lines of writing. The script of the manuscripts is Devanagari of the 11th-12th century. Some specimens of old writing material are also on show,
V. S. AGRAWALA,
Superintendent.