Jain Agam Granthome Panchmatvad

Author(s): Vandana Mehta
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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BLESSINGS
Jaina Aagams deserve an important place in the philosophical world. They are the treasure of wisdom. They contain lot of doctrinal, ethical, philosophical, logical and spiritual ideas. However, all these ideas are found in a scattered form and are not available systematically. Lord Mahavira and Lord Buddha were contemporary. Besides these well-known ideas, there were many other heterodox ideas which were present at that time. As in Aagams, Tripitakas also contains such doctrinal ideas and thoughts which were prevailing at the time. Many scholars have worked on Tripitakas, on this subject. In Jainism this area was untouched. To understand Jainism comparatively with other philosophical ideas this work was a need. The present work is an attempt to fill this need.
Dr Vandana Mehta has done enough effort to collect such doctrinal and philosophical ideas from Aagams and present its critical evaluation from the Jaina perspective. Hopefully this work will be an instrumental for the readers to have a chronological idea of the doctrines present at the time of Lord Mahavira. Inclusion of such large number of original references and bibliography shows her deep interest and endeavour in research.
At last, I congratulate her for the present work and wish the best for her bright academic future.
04-07-2012. Ladnun.
Samani Charitra Pragya
VC, Jaina Vishva Bharati Institute, Ladnun