Descriptive Catalogue Of Manuscripts Vol 19

Author(s): Hiralal Rasikdas Kapadia
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Page 14

PREFACE
In October 1930 I was invited by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute to prepare a Descriptive Catalogue of the Jaina Manuscripts about 4500 deposited therein by the Government of Bombay. I willingly accepted this invitation and left Bombay, for Poona and commenced my work on 23-11-30. Since no definite plan for grouping up of Mss. was chalked out till 1933, I went on describing Mss. alphabetically irrespective of their subjects. Consequently at least some Mss. dealt with in this - Part I were describcơ by me as far back as '1930 and none after June 1936.
In the beginning the Institute had allotted two Volumes XVII and XVIII to “ Jaina Literature and Philosophy” but after a couple of years the Jaina Mss. were spread over the third Vol. num. bered as XIX so that Vol. XVII was to deal with the canonical literature, Vol. XVIII with philosophical works and Vol. XIX with the remaining works-works treating hymnology, narratives, patfāvalis and gurvāvalis, ritualism and miscellanea. This arrangement was modified in April 1956 when the section on hymnology was assigned an independent place and was named as Vol. XIX. This led to the remaining portion of Vol. XIX being thenceforth looked upon as forming Vol. XX. In April 1961 it was however decided that the original Govt. plan of having 20 Vols. of the Descriptive Catalogue should not be changed. This resulted in dividing Vol. XIX into three sections as under :
(i ) Hymnology. (ii) Narratives ( sheets 1786+492 = 2278 ). (iii) (a) Pațțāvalis & Gurvāvalis ( sheets 1-22 ).
(b) Ritualistic works ( „ 23-468 ). (c) Miscellanea ( , 469-562 ).
(d) Supplement („563-570 ). Hymnology is already published in two parts. Narratives are to be issued in three parts. They are as under :