Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald 1915 Book 11 Jain Itihas Sahitya Ank

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Jain Shwetambar Conference

Page 13

Narrative Literature of the Jainas. Im
ges assossa? Dear Sir,
You asked me to send you an essay on the narrative literature of the Jainas as a contribution to your very interesting periodical. No doubt you knew how fond I'am of the stories which abound in the Siddhunta as well as in the remaining Jaina literature, the Mss, of which are preserved in the public and in the private libraries of India and of Europe. I am sorry to say that, properly 'speaking; I am unable to fulfil your roquest. For no living European scholar ean boast of throughly knowing this huge literature, though scholars of such high standing as Georg Buehler, Ch. H. Tawny, Alfred Weber, Ernst Leumann and Hermann Jacobi have done admi. rable pioneer work in order to draw the attention of Western scholars to this highly important branch of literature. Vedic, Hinduistic, and Bauddha in all the parts of the world, than Jaina literature though in many respects, as for instance with respect to its na. rrative part, Jaina literature holds a prominent position not only in the Indian literature, but in the literature of the mankind.
Ask an educated man in Europe.' Who was thə Bu. ddha ? ', and he will at once give you a more or less correct answer. Ask him the same question with respect to Mahavira and he will stare at your face in silent wonaer. At first sight this seems to be very strange, for nobody who knows the literature of the Bauddhas and that of the Jainas will deny that that of the latter is infinitely more attractive than that of the former. The reason of this seemingly strange phenomenon, however, is obvious enough. The Brahmanical Hindus as well as the Bauddhas willingly helped, and continue helping, Western scholars to learn their holy languages and to study their holy and their profane literature, some of whose works