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A Review of the Arbudachala-Pradakshina-Lekhasam
graha ( Abu, Vol. V) of Muni Shri Jayantavijaya.
" At a first glance, this bulky volume Arbādachala Pradakshiņā, appears to be a waste of good effort, but like many a first impression, this is not correct. This collection of 645 inscriptions found in Jain temples in more than seventy villages in the vicinity of Mt. Ābu covering a period from Samvat 1017 to 1977 ( 961 A. D. to 1921 A. D.) with one exception, is a valuable mine of date, not so much for research in local political history of Jain theology, as for students of social history, evolution of the script, proper names of men and women common at varying periods, trades and professions and a hundred minor details, invaluable to a social historian of Gujarat.
Data For Research
As a case in point, we notice that for every person named in these inscriptions, the name of the mother is invariably given along with that of the father. It is for the social historian to ascertain, with the help of other sources, whether this means that polygamy was more common in those times, whether women were as respected as men in the family or whether the man who paid for these inscriptions, wanted good value for his money, by having recorded as many details as possible. A life-time of strenuous effort on the part of the late Shri Jayantavijayaji in collecting, editing, and accurately copying these innumerable inscriptions, each one in itself of no importance, but representing, replaceable wealth in the mass, has been well-rewarded.
-Times of India, Bombay, dated 25-10-1949
