________________
INTRODUCTION
I have grcat pleasure in introducing Srl Jaina Siddhan'a Bhavan Granthayali-a descriptive Cataloguco 997 Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa and Hindi Manuscrip's preserved in Shri Deya Kumar Jain Oriental Library, popularly known as Jaina Sidhanta Bhavan, Arrah. The actual number of MSS cxcccds even one thousand as some of ihcm are numbered as a and b Being the first volume, it marks the beginning of a series of the Catalogues to be picpared and published by the Library.
The Catalogue, devided into two parts, covers about 500 pages and each part numbered separately in the first part, descriptions of the MSS have been given while the sccond part contains the Teu of the opening and closing portions of MSS along with the Colophon The catalogue has been prepared strictly according to the scientific methodology developed during recent years and approved by the scholars as well as Government of India The description of the MSS has been recorded into cleven columns viz 1 Serial number, 2 Library accession or collection number, 3 Titleof the work, 4 Name of the author, 5 Name of the commcntator 6 Material, 7 Script and language, 8 Size and number of folio, lines per page and letters per line. 9. Extent, 10 Condition and age, 11. Additional particulars These details provide adequate informations about the MSS For instance thirteen MSS of Druvasam traha have been recorded (S Nos 213 to 224) It is a well known tiny treatise in Prakrit verses by Nemicanda Siddhanti and has had attracted attention of Sanskrit ond other con nentators Each Ms preserved in the Bhavana's Library has been given an independent accession number Its justification could be observed in the details provided
From the details one finds that first four MSS ( 213 to 215/2 ) contain bare Prakrit text All are paper, wricten in Devanāgari Script, their language being natured in poetry Each Ms has different size and number of folios Lines per page and letters per line are also different All are complete and in good condition Only one Ms (216) is a Hindı verson in poetry by some unknown
