Book Title: Gyananjali Punyavijayji Abhivadan Granth
Author(s): Ramnikvijay Gani
Publisher: Sagar Gaccha Jain Upashray Vadodara

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Page 584
________________ અભિવાદન Pravartaka Śri Kāativijayaji who was himself a worthy disciple of Ācārya Śri Vijayānanda Sūri, popularly known as Sri Ātmärāmji Mahārāja. Pravartakajı vever cared for fame but it was he who, nieking Patan his chief certre, began retrieving and bringing to light the masterly works of the past bidden uncared for in the Jaina Bhandaras. The gates of knowledge bitherto locked in Patan were thrown open to all. Till death at the age of about a hundred years Pravartakaji continued to inspire all, love all, fraternize all and sponsor editing and publication of rare works, collecting and acquiring manuscripts from all over Gujarat ud Rajasthan and getting manuscript COTIES picuared from rare palın-leaf and paper manuscripts and builuing up üew manuscript-bhandaras at Baroda, Chhāni etc. of choicest texts. It was Pravartakaji who helped Muni Sri Jinavijayji in various ways during the latter's young age and was generous enough to help him invariably even taongh the latter abandoned the traditioual garb of a Jaina monk for getting more freedom in his scholarly pursuits. Much of the credit for giving to the word 'wo emitent scholars, pamely, Padmasri Muni Jina vijayaji (Editor, Rajasthan Series, Singhi Series, etc.), and Agama Prahākara Muni Punyavija yaji, goes to the unostentatious pious Pravartakaji. Pravartakaji was fortunate in having a co-student (Guru.bandhu, disciple of the same Guri) in Munl Sri Hamsavijayaji. Both of them hailed from Baroda. Both ran away together from their parental home to renounce the world ard to become monks. Both worked together to retrieve and preserve manuscript-wealth of India from being decayed and lost. Both worked silently with close cooperation never caring for name or fame. Their great services to this cause can be demonstrated by citing only a few instances. In the Baroda Collections (Sri Atmārāmaji Jaina Jnana Bhandara) built up by these two monks, there are some rare manuscripts : Jigabhadraganiksavāśramana's Svopajña çika of Višeşāvaśyaka-bhāgya, an important rare old MS. of the Angavijja, and a richly illustrated manuscript of Kalpasūtra painted at Juuna pur, besides several other texts including illustrated manuscripts, painted wooden book covers etc. etc. From the Jesalamera Bhandara also, access to which vas difficult then, these two great monks obtained copies of works like Caupannamabāpurisa "eariyam etc. and deposited them at Baroda. Paunvāsa Sri Ramaņikavijayaji, the disciple of Late Muni Sri Hamsavijayaji, is now working in close cooperation with Muni Sri Punyavijayaji and is himself editing several texts inspite of bis bad health, The Oriental Institute, Baroda, has been fortunate in having the utmost cooperation and help of Pravastakaji ani bis disciples. The first volume of the G.O. Series, namely, the Kavyamimaṁsā of Rajasek aara could be puil sned from the inanuscript obtained through these monks. Ever since the publica ou of the 1. It is unfortunate that while this matter is about to be printed the sad news of Paonyasaji's death reaches us, He left this ixortal world on 16th Jan., 1969, Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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