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Jaina Paribhāṣika Sabdakosa/Preface
-vii
The caturmāsa was over. Dr. Tatia, however, got indisposed, and we also departed from Ladnun. The work of preparation of the Dictionary got interrupted. In 1997, Ganadhipati Gurudeva passed away. An obstruction got created in the Dictionary's work.
Again in 1999, during our citurmisa at Delhi, we thought of reviving the work, but the necessary material for the work was not available there, and hence, the implementation of the project could not take place. In 2000, we passed our caturmäsa at Ladnun. There, we got the required material and we again re-determined to implement our project.
Gurudeva had desired that our Dictionary should be in English; Dr. Tatia also had passed away then. Hence, we resolved to prepare the Dictionary in Hindi. An important event took placeYuvacharya Mahashramana got attached himself to this project with devotion. The work started advancing. But after the caturmasa at Bidasar in 2001, the Ahimsa Yatra (a long tour for the purpose of non-violence) started. The speed of the work was affected-sometimes it was rapid, sometimes slow.
In 2004, during the caturmasa at Siriyari, deliberation was made on the basis of suggestion from Sadhvi Vishrutavibha and ultimately the decision was taken that our Dictionary would be in both languages-Hindi and English. Muni Mahendrakumarji was given the responsibility of the translation into English. He has accomplished his task with devotion and promptness.
Although sometimes our work went at a good pace, while other times at snail's pace, yet we feel delighted that ultimately we have attained the goal, the task is over.
Creation of Lexicon: A road Outlook
The bibiliography of our lexicon makes clear that the original canonical works of both the traditons-Svetämbara and Digambara-have been amply made use of without any bias/prejudice, in the creation of the present dictionary. The canonical works such as Acaränga, Sṛtakṛtānga, Sthānanga, Samayavāyānga, Bhagavati, Upāsakadaśā, Praśnavyākaraṇa, Uttaradhyayana. Daśavaikälika, Nandi, Anuyogadvāra, Prajñāpanā, Aupapātika, Nisitha, Kalpa, Daśāśrutaskandha, Vyavahāra, Avaśyaka and the like, and on one hand the fundamental scholiastic works of the Svetämbara tradition such as Niryukti, Bhāṣya, Cümni, Vrtti etc.-have become the main source for exposition on the technical terms, while on the other hand the Digambara literature including Satkhandagama, Samayasara, Gommaṭasara, Alap Paddhati, Brhaddravyasamgraha, Jñānārṇava etc. and the scholions on them such as Dhavala and other commentaries, have served as similar sources for creation of this lexicon. The monumental textTattvärtha Sutra and its commentaries such as the author's own commentary (Svopajña Bhāṣya), -Bhāsyānusāriņi Ţikā, Sarvärthasiddhi, Rajavārtika etc. have been amply made use of in our work. The classical works such as Pravacanasaroddhāra, Karmaprakrti, Pañcasangraha. Tiloyapannatti, Trilokasära etc. and the modern works such as Jain Siddhanta Dipika; Manonusasanam etc. have been duly used. The principal works on Jain logic such as Sanmatitarka, Pramana Mimänsä, Nayacakra. Aptamimänsä, Syadvadamanjari, Bhikṣunyāyakarṇikā etc. have been widely utilized. For detailed information, the bibiliography is recomended to refer.
The Jain philosophy believes in the doctrines of soul, cosmos, karma, and kriya (action). It contains the ontological as well as the metaphysical explanations of 'existence'. The technical terms used for metaphysical comprehension have quite different connotations from their general nonphilosophical use and also have mystical tinge. The present dictionary on technical terms of Jainism has been prepared for explaining them.
