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COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
ABHIDHĀNA-RĀJENDRA Preachings of Jain Tirthankaras, known as "Āgamas" upon which the Jain religion is based, are compiled in the Ardhamāgadhi (Prakrit) language. Besides being in Ardhamāgadhi the Āgamas are full of technical terms, the true meaning of which cannot be understood with the help of ordinary dictionaries or lexicons.
Though there were quite a few Prakrit dictionaries with Sanskrit synonyms and Prakrit grammar, yet the need was always felt of a canonical encyclopaedic lexicon which would be helpful in understanding scientifically the texts and facilitate in the systematic study of Jain Scriptures, history of Jain religion, its philosophy, logic, ethics etc. By the middle of the 19th century many foreign scholars and following them Indian Pandits were inspired to study Jain texts and did research in Jainology, in particular, and Indology in general. That was the time when Jain scriptures and most of ancient literature were in a decaying state. Scriptural knowledge and conduct of Jain monks had deteriorated. At such a time a nineteenth century Jain Ācārya Srimad Vijaya Rajendra Sūri (1827-1903), after his deep probing of life and condition of his time, was worried and thought of reviving and re-establishing the study of Jain texts, and along with them, the study of old Prakrit languages in India. He pioneered the creation of ABHIDHĀNA RĀJENDRA KOŞA and thus paved the way to the study of Jain scriptures and saved invaluable heritage of Jainism. Sūriji felt that thousands of valuable words of Jain philosophy had become obsolete and something should be done to revive and reestablish them. He collected all valuable words of Jain philosophy, found in their original Sanskrit roots, gave correct definitions and noted the exact meaning they embodied.
He started compiling Abhidhāna Rajendra in 1889 when he was 63 and continuously carried on the work for 14 years till 1903. Despite his rigorous monk life, extensive tours, organising Pratisthās, Anjansalākās, initiation of Diksās, religious discussions and waterless fasts during cäturmāsa, the work of the Dictionary was carried on.
The Abhidhāna Rājendra was compiled in a methodical and perfectly organised manner. Ardhamāgadhi Prakrit terms and words are arranged alphabetically giving the etymology, derivations, grammatical description of each word with their Sanskrit equivalents along with shades of various meanings special connotations listing all
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