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well as Apabhramsa. His works were written at Buria, Dilli, Agra, Hissar, Kapisthala, Siharadi and Sankasa and he lived on at least up to V. 1712.
The 89th prasasti is of Vijayasimha's Ajita-purana written in V. 1505 and the prasastis 90-98 of 9 works by Brahma Sadharana who mentions himself as a disciple of Narendrakirti.
The 101st prasasti is of Damodara's Siripalachariu. The writer was a disciple of Bhattaraka Jinachandra.
Oswal's Pasachariu (No. 102) was written in V. 1479 (1422 A.D.) in the reign of Chahamana Bhoja of Karahala at the instance of Lonasimba whose family had been responsible for much of the good literary work done at Karahala even earlier. The prasasti is thus of great importance for literary and political history.
Thakur's Santinaha-chariu (No. 103) was written in V. 1652 when Akbar ruled at Delhi and Mansingh at Amer. The work gives a good genealogy of the Sarasvati-gachchha. The poet was a disciple of Visalakirti.
Appendix 1 has 6 prasastis of works already printed, and Appendix 2 of 3 important lipi-prasastis. Of these latter the first prasasti, which is dated in V. 1521, throws important light on the political as well as cultural set-up of Gwalior. The second prasasti is of V. 1530. and the third of V. 1607.
The three prasastis in Appendix 3 are of Rohinivihana-katha of Devanandi, Vaddhamanachariu of Sridhara, and Neminahachariu of Damodara. All the three are important additions to the works of these authors already noted in the Sangraha.
One need hardly emphasise the importance of this collection of prasastis which opens a new door of research in the little-known political, social, cultural, religious and linguistic questions of a period of nearly eight hundred years. The publication of these works is the prime duty not only of the Jaina community but also of non-Jaina institutions of learning. The Editor has discharged well his duty by bringing these priceless treasures to their notice; let others now perform theirs by spending like their ancestors a part of their money in popularising works and teachings which are their priceless heritage.
Pandit Parmanand Shastri's work has been done with the greatest care and deserves the appreciation of every lover of oriental learning. We have seen also other prasasti-sangrahas but this one surpasses them, not of course in the amount of material it puts together, for a few bigger catalogues have been published, but in the way all this material has been systematised. He has thrown new light on the lives of some of the Apabhramsa poets represented here, mentioned also the earlier poets whose writings inspired them and shown a much better understanding of the Jaina theory of poetics than many other writers on the subject whose views have been largely influenced by the writings of western scholars. And even when one does not fully agree with him, one has to respect his views on account of the reasoned way in which they have been presented. When future writers compile either the history of Apabhramsa or early Rajasthani and Hindi literatures, Shri Parmanand Jain Shastri's work will be found not only useful but indispensable.
'Navin-vasant'
E-4/1, Krishnanagar,
Delhi-31
(A)
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Dasharatha Sharma
Reader, History Department University of Delhi
