Jaina Tarka Bhasha

Author(s): Dayanand Bhargava
Publisher: Motilal Barasidas Pvt Ltd

Page 13

INTRODUCTION
About five years ago, I wrote in the preface of my work, Jaina Ethics : “the metaphysical Reality or Truth of logical coherence must remain merely a theoretical possibility unless it is translated into good of life through right living. In fact, the reality or truth is supra-logical and can be better realized by living it practically than by speculating on it intellectually.”
Little did I know that I myself may have to write one day on the 'truth of logical coherence from the Jaina point of view. I had an occasion to guide a Jaina nun in the intricacies of the Jaina Tarka Bhāşă of Ācārya Yašovijaya. I was attracted by the maturity and depth of the work. Therefore, when Dr. R. C. Pandey, Professor and Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, suggested that I should take up the translation of this work and when M/S Moti Lal Banarasidass offered to publish my translation with annotations, I gladly took up the work.
This effort of mine is humble in more than one way. In the first place, I have had no opportunity to study the subject of Jaina logic at the feet of a qualified Guru and as Pt. Sukha Lala Ji in his introduction to Faina Tarka Bhāşa has observed, “it is not possible to follow a work like Jaina Tarka Bhāṣā without having a certain back-ground of the subject" and as Dr. Satakari Mookerjee has made the same observation regarding the Pramāņa Mimāṁsā, my attempt to write a commentary on the Jaina Tarka Bhāṣā is indeed a courageous step. My only help, however, in this task have been the works of my predecessors. Though all such works have been noted in the bibliography, special mention, however, may be made of the works of Pt. Sukhalalii whom I have followed in my text and whose notes on the Pramāņa Mimāṁsā have been my guide throughout
1. PP. 8-9. 2. Mookerjee, Pramānamimāṁsā, preface, p. XI.