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1914.7
JAINA GAZETTE. the years 1890—brought to light a large number of dated inscriptions belonging to the time of the great king Kaniska and his successors, and it was Buhler who deciphered them and deinonstrated their importance. He showed how clearly they proved the coutiguity of the Jain religious practices and reliability of the traditions as regards Ganas, Kalas, Sakbas and similar institutions recorded in the Kalpasutra and other works. The inscriptious are more than 100 in number, and they record chiefly the pious gifts of images and votive tablets,) which were called Ayagapatas, something like the Siddhacak.) ras of later tiines. The gifts were made usually by lay persons at the instigation of teachers, who were monks and nans, and it is an interesting fact that inost of the donors were women which raises a saspicion that the ruins where the inscriptions , are found are those of a nuovery:
Now Baller did not stop at this point. He went on to publish specimens of the sculptures, and of some he furnished an interpretation. All those sculptures may now be seen figured in the handsome volume published by Mr. Vincent Smith for the Archæological Survey. But little more has been done for their interpretation. Now here is the desideratum which I wish to make known to our readers. It is not only from Dlathura that we have such representation of Jaina Art. How inany volumes are there published for the Archäological Sarvey by the veteran scholar and architect Dr. James Burgess and others which contains drawings and photographs of such sculptures! Caves and temples, ruined or still intact, supply them in fair abundance. But as concerns their interpretations I can only recall (besides catalogues of Museums) one or two articles by Dr. Burgo3 himself, and one loy DIr. D. R. Bhaudarkar. Ought we not to have, first of all, a complete catalogue of them, giving references to the books in which they are to be found? Anil in the esplanation of them miy we not hope for help from the special knowledge of the living Jain community! In this respect re are most fortunately placed than in the case of Buddhism, where the scholars
have had to rely upon thienselica. There is for instance a gift Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
