Atmanandji Jainacharya Janmashatabdi Smarakgranth

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Atmanand Janma Shatabdi Smarak Trust

Page 224

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In the lectures on the present state of Gujarati literature delivered by Divan Bahadur Krishualal M. Jhaveri in February 1934 in the Bombay University's Thakkar Vassonji Madhavji lecture-Series & published by the said University we find at page 5 on Jain Contributions as under:
“Sanskrit and Prakrit were learnt by the higher classes such as the Brāhmins and the Jain Sadhus. It may be said in passing that in dealing with the earlier phases of the language and literature of Gujarat, one should never make the mistake, which was commonly made uptil some years ago, of ignoring the very large part played by the Jain sadhus or ascetics in the formation and development of both. The towering personality of Grammarian Achārya Hemchandra (Samvat year 1168, A. D. 1112 ) not only dominated our literature during his own tinies but will dominate it for all time. The services rendered by his "aaaaaTI” are unique. They have preserved for us and for generations to come the state of the language and literature as they were in his own time, and it is the opinion of some scholars that his book represents the state of the language as it existed even before his time. Successive Jain authors, down to the dawn of the modern period, continued to contribute to the literature of the province, and their works can be counted by thousands. A few have been published, but the rest are lying hidden away in the obscurity of the Bhandars, the temples and private collections. In this connection may be specially mentioned the two volumes of Jain poetry and the history of Jain literature written by Mohanlal D. Desai.
The learned author has favoured us with a short article in Gujarati on the same subject which appears in Gujarati Section II of this volume at pages 1 & 2.
Shatabdi Granth ]
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