Jaina Granth Bhandars in Rajasthan

Author(s): Kasturchand Kasliwal
Publisher: Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Mandir

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Jaina Grantha Bhandars in Rajasthan.
(3) Samyaktva Kaumudi by Kisandas composed in the year 1722 A.D. (4) Harivansa puran by Laxmidas in Hindi composed in the year 1829 A.D.
(iv) AMAR GRANTHALAYA INDORE
The Amar Granthalaya of Indore has a good number of manuscripts of which majority are in Samskrit and Hindi. Copies of Aristadhyaya of Prakrit, Gyan Deepika of Hari Candra in Hindi and Jotisa Sar Sangrha by Ratan Bhanu in Samskrit are worth mentioning.
(v) SASTRA BHANDAR OF KARANJA1
one
There are more than 2000 manuscripts in the Sastra Bhandar of Karanja in Akola district of Gujrat State. This is one of the best collections in the State and includes some rare works useful for scholars. All the three temples of this old city possess fine collections of old manuscripts, the Balātkāra collection being the biggest All the manuscripts are written on paper in Nagari script. The manuscripts are well preserved. The earliest of them is that of Upaskacara of Samantabhadra with a commentary of Prabhācandra. It was copied in V.S 1415 Sunday the bright fortnight of the month of Magha corresponding to 6th June 1359. Another manuscript is of Pancästi Kaya of Kunda-Kunda copied in Samvat 1468 (1411 A.D) when Virammadeva was the king of Gopacala (Gwalior). A few more manuscripts are dated in the same century and hence this Bhandar is more or less than 500 years old.
(vi) PATAN BHANDĀRS2
Ever since its foundation, Pätan had been the centre of Jainism and under beneficient royal patronage afforded to it in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, the scholars attached to it devoted themselves for writing historical, philosophical. literary and other works. Although the works were continued in the 14th. 15th and 16th centuries and still later, the works composed in the 11th to 13th centuries are of greater historical interest than those composed later on. This literary activity resulted in the formation of great libraries for collecting and preserving old, contemporaneous and new compositions Patan was the centre of Jaina literature from 11th
1 Catalogue of Samskrit & Prakrit manuscripts in Central provinces & Berar by Raibahadur Hiralal B.A.
2. A descriptive catlogue of manuscripts in the Jaina Bhandārs at Patan by C.D. Dalal, published by Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1937.