Jain Journal 2003 07

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

Page 16

HAMPA NAGARAJAIH: EPIGRAPHIA JAINIKA
revised edition by R. Narasimhachar contained about 500 inscriptions. Its re-revised edition of 1973 contains 573 inscriptions.
The Jaina Inscriptions, collected and compiled by Puranchand Nahar, containing Indices of Places, Glossary of Names of Shrāvka castes and gotras of Gachhas and Acāryas with dates and with plates, part I was published in 1918 (2nd edition 1983), followed with part 2 and 3 in 1927 and 1929 (Delhi-Calcutta). An advocate of Calcutta High Court, P.C. Nahar, a member of Asiatic Society of Bengal and Bihar and Orissa Research Society, was also an Honarary correspondent of the Archaeological department (Govt. of India). While editing the three volumes of Jaina Inscriptions, P. C. Nahar wrote: “The epigraphs are undoubtedly the main source of ancient Indian history. In the absence of any systematic history of the Jainas, the collection of their inscriptions is very significant. A major part of their history is based on these records. The information gathered from the epigraphs is hardly available from any other source of history. Moreover, with the passage of time, other writings get easily corrupted or destroyed, while the epigraphs remain intact till the life of the stones themselves. Thus the inscriptions have proved to be an important source of history
P.C. Nahar added further that “The records generally are inscribed eighter on stones or on metals. The writings on stones get damaged earlier in comparison to the records on metals. The stonewritings lose also their clarity after sometime. That is the reason why I have read more records those on metal than those on stones. The information regarding following points is available in the inscriptions:
1. The year, month, date and day of the week 2. The names of Vamsa, Gotra and kula 3. The genealogy
The names of the Gachhas, Shākhās and Ganas The names of Acāryas, the shishyas and the Patļāvali The names of the countires, cities and villages The names of the artists and the inscribers
The names of the kings and ministers. 9. The contemporary events. [P. C. Nahar, : 1915 : preface, p.1].