Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

Page 117

GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
(August 1783) Sir William
TO T
Y Jones saw a vision while
a reas seis standing alone on the deck
3443303332145 of his vessel en route to 2200S 08223jam 930g India. "It gave me," he 339372320101316 says, "inexpressible 87292 0 33 34 pleasure to find myself in இந்த பாலமாயுரம்
so noble and 6320021524 ambience, almost
an GA
2 033 encircled by the vast regions of Asia, which has ever been esteemed the source of science, the invertors of delightful and useful arts, the scene of glorious actions, fertile in the productions of human genius, and infinitely diversified in forms of religion and government in the laws, manners, customs, as well as in the features and complexions of men."
hospitality may seem an improbability; but, despite the gratuitous assumptions of Western scholars who have never visited India, that hospitality is still there. It is in the hundreds of Dharmashalas (inns] erected by the Jains of India at most of their important towns, in which travelers can rest for short time free of charge, and at several places even meals can be had on the same terms. "I shall not dwell on other points misrepresented in Dr. Hale's article, dismissing them simply with the remark that it has been a sad fatality that Orientals and their religions, manners and customs have always been misconstrued by people who have no right to speak thereon without making a thorough study of them.
This grand man knew how to make his dream come true, and change his vision into a reality. He startled European scholars by his translation of Shakuntala, "One of the greatest curiosities," as he said in his preface, "that the literature of Asia is yet not brought to light." He also translated the laws of Manu, founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and achieved marvelous results in the researches of ancient literature of India. Colebrook, H.H. Wilson, and many others followed him, and to-day we have a mass of Sanskrit and Prakrit literature of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist, lying before the European scholars, giving a clue to India's ancient history.
Rich ancient literature of India
India has been the dreamland of many scholars. Students, philosophers and antiquarians, see visions of India. More than a hundred years ago
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