In Search of the Original Ardhamagadhi English Translation

Author(s): K R Chandra, N M Kansara, Nagin J Shah, Ramniklal M Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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Author's Note
It is a pleasure to publish this book which is English translation of the author's original Hindi book 'Pracīna Ardhamāgadhi Ki Khoj mem' publishedd by Prakrit Jain Vidya Vakas Fund, Ahmedabad, 1992.It was well received by the Prakrit scholarts in India and abroad. It was suggested from the West that its English version should be published for international market. This suggestion was brought to the notice of late Pt. D. D. Malvania and Dr. H. C. Bhayani and they instantly agreed to publish the same. On our request financial aid was granted to our association P.J.V.V. Fund by the Kalikāla Sarvajña Śrī Hemacandrācārya Navama Janma Šatabdi Smṛti Samskāra Šikṣaṇa Nidhi, Ahmedabad and for that we are very grateful to the Nidhi and Revd. Acārya Śrī Śīlacandrasūrijī for his liberal support to this academic cause. On our request the Hindi text was translated into English by Prof. Dr. N. M. Kansara and for that we are grateful to him.
We have made some alterations in the order of the chapters of the Hindi edition and added in the end opinions and reviews of the Acaranga, Prathama Śruta-Skandha, Prathama Adhyayana which was linguistically re-edited by the author and published by the P.J.V.V.Fund, Ahmedabad, 1997. All this kind of work is done to restore the origtinal form of Ardhamāgadhi which was nearer to and resembled Pāli in the phonetic nature of the medial consonants of its vocables.
We are grateful to Prof. Paul Dundas who wrote the FOREWORD to this edition. After going through my book 'Prācīna Ardhamāgadhi Ki Khoj mem he expressed the view that "only by challenging longheld presuppositions will scholarship on ancient texts be advanced" and so we thought it proper to request him to write the FOREWORD.
Now we are grateful to the Prakrit Text Society and its new office bearers Dr. N.J.Shah (President) and Dr. R.M. Shah (Hon. Secy.) for publishing this English version.
K. R. Chandra,
Hon.Secy.,P.J.V.V.Fund.
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