History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 10

PREFACE
It was about a decade and a half ago that an idea struck me that I should write a comprehensive history of the canonical literature of the Jainas. This idea got crystallized when, on being invited by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, I commenced preparing a Descriptive Catalogue of Jaina Manuscripts deposited in this Institute by the Government of Bombay. While I was engaged in this work, I found that barring A Sacred Literature of the Jainas, an English translation of the valuable German contribution by the late Prof. A Weber, and A History of Indian Literature (vol. II) by Prof. Maurice Winternitz. Ph. D., there was no work which presented the history of the Jaina literature as a connected whole. And as regards these two works, too, I found that the first one was hardly accessible, and that full justice was not done to the history of the Jaina canonical literature by either of these scholars, who had treated the extant exegetical literature in a cursory manner and had practically neglected the extinct Āgamas. Prof. Winternitz was in a better position to do the needful; but, since he had selected a much wider field that the history of the Jaina literature, he could not devote to it as many pages as might be desired. So I undertook this work, and by the time two parts of vol. XVII of D. C. J. M. got published, I finished the spade-work. Subsequently I found that the task undertaken by me presented far greater difficulties than I had foreseen. So I had half a mind to wait till i had completely surmounted them. But, on realising that such a desirable stage may not be reached in near future and even the work as it stood, would be useful to students, if not to scholars, I have taken this bold step of placing it before the public.
Incidentally I may invite the attention of veteran scholars to certain questions which require investigation. For instance they occur on p. 37, 40, 71, 78, 116, 117 etc.
In this work I have given quotations in extenso in order that the general reader may be saved the trouble of procuring the original works, and may still judge for himself. I have given at the end two Indexes. Of these the