Jainendra Siddhanta kosha Part 1

Author(s): Jinendra Varni
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 8

GENERAL EDITORIAL
( First Edition)
Jaina Teachers and Authors have richly contributed to the various branches of Indian literature, in different languages. In their exposition of Jaina philosophy and logic, Jaina ontology and mythology and Jaina dogmatics and ethics--in fine, in their treatises primarily devoted to Jainism, they have used a large number of words and expressions with technical and specialised meaning, not ordinarily traced in Sanskrit and Prakrit lexicons. Terms like dharmadravya, pudgala, a stikaya,kşapakaśreņi have, therefore, needed independent definitions and precise explanations. As long as Jaina works were studied in the traditional way and in sectarian schools, the understanding of such terms was more or less a hereditary equipment.
Lately, Jainism is being studied by students of comparative religion; Jaina literature is being viewed as a part of Indian literature; and Jaina contributions to humanistic ideas are being valued on a universal plane, with no special reference to time and place. Secondly, the methods of study are fast undergoing change, and the horizon of learning is also expanding day by day. Hence the need for Bibliographies, Source-books and reference works etc, is being felt by Teachers and Students at every stage in the pursuit of their studies.
When highly technical works like the Gornmațasara were taken up for study and teaching in the Pachasalás, the need of reference manuals was urgently felt; and, as far as we know, the late Pt. GOPAL DASJI BARAIYA composed his Jaina Siddhanta Pravesika as carly as 1909. The Abhidhana-Rajendra-kośa of VIJAYARAJENDRASURI was published from Ratlan,
ven Volumes. It is rather too all-pervasive in its expanse; still it is helpful in locating references and interpretations of a large number of Jaina technical terms. With the inauguration of the Sacred Books of the Jainas, eminent scholars like S. C. GHOSHAL, A. CHAKRAVARTI, T. L. JAINI and others prepared English Translations of some important Taina works: and they were faced with the difficulty of rendering the Jaina technical terms in a proper manner. 'It struck them forcibly' that different translations might employ different English equivalents for the same Jaina word. This destroys uniformity and causes confusion in the mind of a non- Jaina reader of the works. Therefore it was thought best to put together the most important Jaina technical terms and to try to attempt to give fixity to the meaning in which Jaina philosophy employs them. Of course it is idle to claim finality in an undertaking of this kind,' This is what J. L. JAINI said in his Introduction to the Taina Gem Dictionary (Arrah 1918). It is a modest attempt to put together alphabetically Jaina technical terms and to give their meaning in English. It is interesting to note that the basis for this Dictionary is the Jaina Siddhanta Praveśika of GOPAL DAS BARAIYA, noted above. An Illustrated Ardhamagadhi Dictionary (Ajmer-Bombay 1923-32) by RATNACHANDRAJI Satavadhani, in Five (?) Volumes, is helpful in getting explanation of a limited number of technical terms. The Brhat Jaina Sabdarnava,in Two Parts,started by Master BIHARILAL JAIN and completed by SHITAL PRASADJI (in Hindi), Barabanki-Surat, 1924-34, is quite a helpful source book and really an achievement for an individual. There is also the Alpa-paricitasaiddhantika-sabda-kośa, Part I (Surat 1954) of ANANADASAGARASURI which aims at giving
meanings in Hindi of some rare technical words of Jaina Siddhanta. Jain Education International