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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
( ૫૯
મુનિ શ્રી પુણ્યવિજ્યજી શ્રદ્ધાંજલિ-વિશેષાંક at Patan, Cambay, Limbdi and Jesalmer. He discovered several important rare texts from these collections. He edited these texts in a masterly scientific way. His edition of the agcalerst, the earliest available version (in Prakrit of c. 5th cent. A. D.), of the lost 96391 written in Paishachi Prakrit by Gunadhya, and his editions of the बृहत्कल्पभाष्य with टीका and चूर्णि and of the अंगविज्जा which is an unparalleled storehouse of information on material culture of India in the late Kshatrapa and early Gupta age are sufficient to ensure for him a permanent place amongst Orientalists. Single-handed, he planned and carried out the work of preparing critical editions of all the Jaina Canonical texts, The Prakrit Text Society, patronised by the President of India was started mainly to publish all these texts, and many other rare works from Jaina Bhandaras which were made available through the learned Muniji. He was in fact the main life-line of this project.
The Muniji was elected President of the Prakrits and Jainism section of the 21st session of the All-India Oriental Conference which met in Shrinagar in 1961.
He, however, shirked all worldly honours. He refused to accept the coveted position of an Acharya in Jaina hierarchy of monks, so willingly offered to him by his elders. But till the last, his opinion and interpretation of the Jaina religion were respected by all monks of the highest order and nobody dared to challenge him, even though he preferred to remain a mere Muni.
Muniji was born at Kapadavanja (Gujarat) in 1895 A, D. (V. S. 1952). He obtained Diksha at the age of 14 in Chhani near Baroda, and left this human body in Bombay on 14-6-71. May his soul obtain the ever cherished goal of Moksha !
- Journal of the Oriental Institute.
Baroda; June, 1971.
ધર્મમય જ્ઞાનતિને વંદના
અહિંસાલક્ષી જીવનસાધના અને સત્યલક્ષી જ્ઞાનોપાસના એ જ આત્મસાધના કે આત્મસાક્ષાત્કારને એટલે કે અંતરને સત-ચિત, આનંદમય બનાવવાને સફળ ઉપાય છે. મતલબ કે જે સાધના અહિંસા અને કરૂણાના મંગલમય માગે આત્માને નિર્મળ અને સર્વમિત્ર બનાવવામાં સહાયરૂપ ન થાય એ સાચી જીવનસાધના નહીં; અને જે ઉપાસના પિતાની જાતને અને વિશ્વના સત્ય સ્વરૂપનું સુરેખ દર્શન કરાવવામાં ઉપયોગી ન થાય એ યથાર્થ જ્ઞાને પાસના નહીં.
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