________________
The Original Language of Jaina Canonical Texts. Editors: Acārya Vijayashilachandra Suri and Dr. K.R. Chandra. Prakrit Texts Society, 375 Saraswati Nagar, Ahmedabad 380015, 1999.
The book is a collection of seminar papers on the theme: “Original Language of the Jain Canonical Texts" held at Ahmedabad, India, 27-28 April 1997. Six papers in English in it deal with history and development of MIA languages and dialects. Problems of Editing Agama texts (S.R. Benarjee), Reason and Cause for Mahārāștri Prākrit (R.P. Poddar), Ardhamāgadhi and Sauraseni Prākrits of Jain canonical works in the evolution of MIA languages (K.R. Chandra) are quite interesting. N.M. Kansara's paper appears to argue against generalizing Hemacandra's Prakştih Saṁsksatam. Dinanath Sharma suggests that senior canonical works preserve a good number of forms which are archaic in comparison to Sauraseni and Mahārāștrī. To him, Sauraseni neither reveals trait nor phonology or morphology like in Ardhamāgadhi.
The book focuses on to present anteriority of Ardhamāgadhi in relation to Sauraseni, but not much of a case is made on the issue.
Samaņ Suttam. Jinendra Varni. Trans. T.K. Tukol and K.K. Dixit. B. M. M, S., Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi-110021.
It is a compilation of Prākrit 756 sūttas, from ancient Jain texts, deals with various Jaina precepts divided into four sub-texts: Source of Illumination, Path of Liberation, Metaphysics and Theory of Relativity. There are sūttas (s.13-15; 18-24) on hagiography of Tirthankaras and their basic teachings which they continuously upheld and rejuvenated from time to time; on karma (s.58-66); and on Jaina characteristics of soul (s.183-190). The book provides a glimpse into the essentials of philosophy and principle of Jain religion, but fails by not providing source information.
Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth. Edited: Nagin J. Shah. B.L. Institute of Indology, Delhi 110036, 2000. ISBN 81-208-1707-9.
This is a collection of papers from a Seminar on Jain Logic and Epistemology held at New Delhi in 1990. It consists
78 For Private & Personal Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
