Jainas in History of Indian Literature

Author(s): Jinvijay
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 10

PREFAOE
[111
joining the struggle for Svarājya. I thought I would be able to oontinue my study of German language in the Jail and to slowly add to my knowledge with the help of books that I had brought with me from Germany; but in the Nasik Jail, where I was imprisoned, I was more lucky in getting as my associates the late Seth Jamnalalji Bajaj, Sjt. K. M. Munshi, and others whose contact I had greatly desired and with whom I found mere delight in discussing the deeper aspects of Indian culture and history and various problems of Sanskrit and Gujarati literature, more than in reading the elementary books of German which I had with me. My pursuit of German for the time being was given up.
After my release from the Nasik Central Jail, fate willed that I should accept the Directorship of the Jaina Academy founded by my honoured friend, the late Babu Shri Bahadursinghji Singhi of Calcutta at Vishwabharati, Shantiniketan, the educational tirtha established by the late Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Immediately after my assumption of the Directorship I started the Singhi Jain Series through the munificence of Babuji. Among the objects of this series I specifically mentioned the bringing to light of the original Sanskrit works and the publication of translations made into English, Hindi or Gujarati by scholars of the valuable works written in the German and French languages by the eminent scholars of Jain literature. As the eleventh volume in the series I had the satisfaction of publishing an English translation made by my learned friend, Dr. Manilal Patel, of Dr. Bühler's classical German work entitled the "LIFE OF HEMCHANDRA", the well-known doyen of Jain scholars and the greatest luminary in the firmament of Jain literature. To this English translation Dr. M. WINTERNITZ on my request contributed a valuable preface.
I took this opportunity of addressing Dr. WINTERNITZ with regard to the section on Jain literature in his “ History of Indian Literature” which I had the