Jain Journal 1970 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 32

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JAIN JOURNAL
Another fundamental for Jaina history are the inscriptions. Guerinot's Essai was followed in 1908 by a Repertoire d'epigraphie Jainas. Though not the work of a specialist, yet Luder's List of Brahmi Inscrptions from the earliest time till about 400 A.D. with the exception of those of Asoka is valuable thanks to innumerable inscribed allusions to the order of Jaina laymen and monks. (EI 10, App. L.C. 1912.)
It seems to be a digression from our subject when we note that Buhler in his academical lecture Uber die Indische Sekte der Jainas (1887) was the first to call up the interest of non-scholars for Jainism legitimated as he was to do so thanks to 17 years of official service in the then Bombay Presidency. Mrs. S. Stevenson, trained in the Christian Mission of Gujarat, wrote her book The Heart of Jainism in 1915 thus challenging a strong resentment at least among the Digambaras31. It is curious to see that, while this authoress regretted to miss true warmth of heart in the religion she described, Pertold in a public lecture approved of its being excluded from it32. Guerinot's book La Religion d Jaina (1926) was exposed to criticism as was the book just mentioned 33. One year before (1925) H. v. Glasenapp's by far more instrcutive and comprehensive work Der Jainismus, eine indische Erlosungsreligion had come into the hands of many grateful readers.
To the same author we owe his contribution to the Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft representing Jaina literature and writing according to the different literary species. Winternitz's History of Indian Literature Vol II, p. 289-356 (1920) which deals with the same subject is too well known for its merits for being praised here.
Thus far we have registered Western working for the public knowledge of Mahavira's religion. As to the countless pamphlets and journals through which the Jainas themselves, for the purpose of propaganda, appeal to the general public, we but mention them here in passing. Of the publications useful for scholrs we refer to Vijayadharma Suri's (s.b.) Jainatattvajñāna (in Festschrift Winternitz), Jaini's Outlines of Jainism, P. C. Nahar's Epitome of Jainism and C. R. Jain's Jaina Law.
31 Jagmanderlal Jaini : A Review of the H. of J., Ambala 1925. Earlier, Mrs
Stevenson published Notes on Modern Jainism, Oxford, 1910. O. Pertold, The place and Importance of Jainism in the Comparative Sciences of Religions (Bh. without year), p.21 : "I think this sentimental aspect is the least desirable in a modern religion, which must go parallel with the fast
development of sciences". 38 Critically reviewed by Charlotte Krause, ZDMG 84, pp. 192-202; comp. also
Frauwallner, WZKM 36, p. 336ff.