Jain Journal 1997 04

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

Page 32

BOOK REVIEW
129
like Mahāpurāna of Puşpadahta, Karakandacariu of Kanakāmara, Yasoharacariu of Puşpadanta and so on are published. The main purpose of this list is, perhaps, to show how big is the Apabhramsa literature lying in different Bhāndāras.
He has not, perhaps, tried to say whether some of these books are already edited or not. At least, if there is an indication either by giving an asterisk before the book or by mentioning, at least, the editor of the first publication of that book, the scholars would have been much benefited by this text so meticulously collected. In the fourth chapter (pp. 270-281) he has mentioned again some of the names of authors of Apabhramsa literature and also some of the works whose author is more or less controversial. This portion is also very interesting. In the fifth chapter (pp. 282-320) he has given some interesting verses of Apabhramsa not yet published. These quotations are from 228 authors. In the parisistas (1-4) he has given the references to Apabhramsa and Apabhramsa verses found in Sanskrit literature. And in another parisista he has collected some Apabhramsa verses from Prakrit literature. In the third appendix he has given some 40 Apabhramsa inscriptions and in the last appendix he has given some specimens of Apabhramsa prose from Kuvalayamālā of Uddyotana Sūrī mentioned above.
These vast and varied topics of Apabhramsa are covered by Dr Devendra Kr. Šāstrī in his above mentioned book. Every lover of Prakrit and Apabhramsa will welcome this bibliography and will definitely shower encomiums on Šāstriji. Himself an authority on Apabhramsa, it is quite in the fitness of things that he has undertaken such an important task of preparing a hand book of Apabhramsa bibliography, If human labour and scholarship have any prize, then Šāstriji's book will honour him and make him immortal in the field of Indological studies. I recommend this book to every lover of Indian studies and hope their libraries will be adorned by the inclusion of this monumental work.
Satya Ranjan Banerjee
B.K. Tiwary-History of Jainism in Bihar, The Academy Press, Patel Nagar, Gurgaon-122 001, 1996, price : 300.00.
Jainism has been a fascinating study to many scholars of India and abroad. For the last 200 years with the advent of the Europeans in the field of Indology, Jainism got its prominence and many scholars