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Soon after I joined the teaching profession, I developed interest in Jaina epistemology and logic, especially in Syādvāda. During the course of my studies, I found, however, that a great deal has been said and written on the subject by several Jaina and non-Jaina scholars, both ancient and modern. I felt I could hardly make any significant contribution to the subject. At this stage of my struggle my revered teacher Dr. D, M. Datta suggested the hitherto neglected topic of Sarva. jñatā or omniscience. Incidentally, Sarvajñatā is also the logical culmination of the doctrine of Syādvāda.
When I started my research, I wished to present a study of the Jaina theory of omniscience in the background of Indian philosophy. Accordingly, I went on studying the Vedas, Upani. şads, Rāmāyanıs (Vālmiki, Adhyātma, Ananda, Mānasa, Agniveśa, Ātma and Bhānu-Bhakhta), the Mahābhārat, Smộtis and Mahāpurānas. These works offered a very rich source of information. I also had my further plan to go ahead with the Upapurānas, Tantra, Yoga-vāśiştha, Tripițakas and the source books of the six systems. But I was advised by Dr. D. M Datta and Dr. Kalidas Bhattacharya to stop with the materials collected so far. Moreover, when I completed my explorations into the Jaina works, the results obtained for the Jaina portion alone was more than enough. Now, it was a problem for me to give such a shape to this huge stock of information derived from all these sources, that it could fit into the structure of a doctoral dissertation. Fortunately, my learned teacher, Rajendra Prasad of 1.I.T, Kanpur came to my rescue, and suggested to present the Jaina portion only, a plan of work which got the approval of Dr. D. M. Datta. The present work is the outcome of this very plan.
I feel my solemn duty to express my sincere gratitued and thanks to many scholars and pandits with whom I had the privilege to discuss, during the last iwelve years, either personally or through correspodence, many issues connected with this work. I am specially indebted to the late Dr. Bhagavān Dās, Pt. Mahendra Kumar Jaina, Pt. Rahula Sankstyāyan
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