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JAINA SAHITYA SANSHODHAKA
[ VAL. 1
works will to point to a syet possible for
Patti, Amritsar, Vairowal, Gujranwala & But it is not yet possible for any scholar and Narowal.
to point to a shelf or shelves in his librI am sure that several rare works will ary and sav. "There is the Jaina Canon" come to light if these Bhandars are care and so many books and essays have a fully examined. Hence, the earliest tentative character through the impossiopportunity should be availed to prepare bility of examining the whole collecta catalogue of their contents. Most of the ion. Would it not be possible and a great Bhandars are the property of the Sam- help to future studies, if the whole (I do not gha or tbe Jain community at large, and mean, of course, with all the commentathe Jain Conference, therefore, can lay a ries) could be made available in such a claim to examine them. Moreover, in- preliminery but complete condition." 13 dividual Sadhus and Pujas have Prof. A. C. Woolner remarks, " Jain their own Mss. which also should be literature is neither so famous, nor so catalogued as far as practicable.
widely studied as the Pali Buddhist The want for critically edited Jain literature. Much of it is still in manutexts has been repeatedly brought to script or in uncritical editions. Much of notice. Prof. Rhys Davids wrote, “The it again is difficult without ( and even Jain records are unfortunately as yet with ) a commentary. "13 known only in fragments. It is the No doubt considerable progress has greatest desideratum for the history of been made in India in the publication of this period that they should be made the sacred texts, but a good deal yet reaccessible iu full, ” 10
mains. A complete set of the SvetamLater on he wrote, “ The Jains them- bara Canon was published about forty selves have now printed in Bombay a years ago by Rai Dhanpat Singh Bahadur complete edition of their sacred books. of Baluchar ( Murshidabad ). This set But the critical value of this edition, provided, as it is, with the usual Sansand of other editions of separate texts krit commentary and the Gujrati paraprinted elsewhere in India, leaves much phrase ( Tabba ) " is worthless as an to be desired.”
edition, being inade with no regard whatDr. F. W. Thomas writes, “ Most if soever to textual or grammatical correctnot all, of the Angas have, indeed, been ness both in its Sanskrit and Prakrit published in India, and some in Europe. portions. Still it has its uses for the pur8. The Panjab University Library has
poses of collation." 1. Most of the volua Ms. copy of a catalogue of Mss. in the
17 mes of this set are out of stock and canBhandar attached to the Jain temple
e not be had at any price. at Gujranwala. I have not been able to
Another attempt to bring out an edifind out who prepared it. Presumably it the
it tion of the Svetambara Canon is being was prepared by PT. Kashi Nath made by the trustees of the Devchand Kunte who examined some of the Sans
am Lalbhai Pustakoddhar Fund, Bombay. krit libraries of the Panjab in the
n the This edition, though decidedly superior eighties.
12. Proceeding of a literary Confere9. Several centuries preceeding the nce of the Jains held at Ajmer 1914, Christian era.
last page. 10. Buddhist India p. 163.
13. Introduction to Prakrit p. 72. 11. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ele 1 4. Hoernle's Uvasagadasao, Introdla venth Edition, Sub voce. Jain.' ction p. XI.
Aho! Shrutgyanam
