Cosmology Old and New

Author(s): G R Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 19

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
I have great pleasure in placing before the readers the new edition of my book Cosmology Old & New. It has been thoroughly revised, enlarged and brought up to date in conformity with the researches made during the last three decades since the publication of the first edition in 1942. It has been possible to do so through the kind patronage of Danvir Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, New Delhi to whom I convey my best compliments. Sahu Shanti Prasad is a leading business magnate and glorious son of Mother India. He has donated huge sums of money amounting to several millions for the uplift of Common man, particularly the Jaina society. It is through his generosity and benevolence that thousands of men are earning their livlihood in his mills and factories, some of them holding very high key posts. He is interested in publishing the heritage of Jain culture far and wide. Here I cannot forget to express my deep gratitude to brother Lakshmi Chand Jain of Bharatiya Jnanpith without whose inspiration it would not have been possible to undertake this hard task at the age of 72
I draw the kind attention of our readers towards the following points:
(i) Jainas assert that the size of the universe is fixed (343 cu.
rajjus), whereas the modern cosmologists believe that the universe was in the form of material highly concentrated corresponding to Brahma's golden egg, which began expanding suddenly some five billion years ago and is expanding even today. This expansion of the universe has been concluded on the basis of feeble red shift of the spectral lines.