Jain Journal 1972 07

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

Page 56

JULY, 1972
In this conference following papers were also read by some scholars in which many problems connected with Jainology were discussed :
1. Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai from Jammu University mentioned in her paper that like western Hindi and Punjabi, Dogri seems to be derived from a Prakrit very close to Sauraseni.
2. Dr. E. A. Solomon from Gujarat University gave a brief account of Jaina Acarayas and their works belonging to Gujarat in his paper 'Contribution of Gujarat to Sanskrit Literature'.
3. Prof. K. Y. Pandurangi, Bangalore University, mentioned in his paper 'Contribution of Karnatak to Sanskrit Literature that Mysore State has also been the home of Jaina scholars. Kundakunda, Samantabhadra, Pujyapada, Akalanka and many others have enriched Jaina siddhānta by their works in Sanskrit and Prakrit.
4. Dr. V. Raghavan in his paper 'Contribution of Tamilnadu to Sanskrit and Shri B. L. Sharma from Pilani in his paper 'Contribution of Rajasthan to Sanskrit' also mentioned some Jaina Acaryas and their works.
It is clear from the study of the above papers that the topics presented in Jainology in the conference do not make a full representation of the Jaina literature. Except papers on Jaina Sanskrit literature of Gujarat and Rajasthan no papers were sent from other states of the country. To my mind papers connected with Jainology could have been presented in this conference on two more topics : (i) Rare Sanskrit mss preserved in Jaina gratha bhandaras and (ii) Some aspects of Jaina Sanskrit language, because these two topics are more useful and attractive for scholars of Indology of India and abroad.
It is a pity that no foreign scholar referred to Jaina Sanskrit works in the context of Jainology. This makes it clear that in foreign countries where there are ample opportunities for the study of Sanskrit no work is being done in Jaina Sanskrit literature. The present author made enquiries from some foreign scholars in this context. Dr. Gustav Roth of West Germany and Prof. Dr. Harry Spitzbardt of Jena, G.D.R. enumerated some Jaina works on which research is in progress in that country. But most of them are in Prakrit. In the Saptahik Hindusthan, dated 2nd April 1972, Shri Viswanath Ayanger announced that paper on ‘Jaina Sanskrit-a Study' by Walter Marar from America will be presented in the conference. But the present author could neither meet