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UTTARADHYAYANA SUTRA [The Last Testament of Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira)—With text, translation rendered into verse from the original Prakrit and notes by Professor K. C. Lalwani. Pages 488 Demy. Published in 1977 by Prajnanam, Calcutta-6. Price Rs. 70/
Prof. K. C. Lalwani, author of several valuable publications on Jainology and Histriography has rendered meritorious service to the advancement of Jainological learning by translating into idiomatic, chaste and lucid verse the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra containing the golden sayings of Mahavira, on ethics, religion and philosophy for the instruction and guidance of monks and house-holders.
The Uttarādhyayana Sūtra is as sacred to the Jainas as the Višudhimārga of the Buddhists for self-purification and the attainment of freedom from mundane sufferings,--the ultimate goal of life, Nirvāņa, incomprehensible to the human intellect.
Bhagavan Mahavira, at the age of seventytwo, in the course of a long sermon on the law of Karma continuously delivered for two days agumented by the text of the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra passed away into Nirvāņa, the supreme state of emancipation. The text of the Sutra is original, attributed to Mahavira according to authoritative Jaina scriptures. This makes the Sūtra the last testament of Mahavira.
I compared the prose version rendered by the late Dr. Herman Jacobi published about eighty-five years ago with the verses of Prof. Lalwani and found both of them in full agreement in their literal translations of the original text. There may be a few flaws, but they are not so serious as to invite criticisms and comments by scholars. For each chapter, Prof. Lalwani has added exhaustive notes in which he has also indicated slight differences he has with Jacobi.
Our grateful thanks are due to Prof. Lalwani for producing this monumental work on Jainology which will prove indispensable to students pursuing studies on the Jaina sacred literature.
-V. G. Nair
Jain Education International
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