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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Preface.
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
Though Professor A. Weber's excellent treatise: "Ueber ein Fragment der Bhagavati" which contains a rather large specimen of the original text based on a single Manuscript, appeared more than ten years ago, this edition of the Kalpasûtra is the first attempt to critically edit a complete Jaina work. Hence I hope that due allowance will be made for the difficulty of my task, when it will be found that I have but imperfectly reached the end aimed at.
The Introduction contains besides the information on the Kalpasûtra a discussion of the general questions connected with Jainism. In that part of my work I have refrained from largely entering on a criticism of the opinions of former scholars because they were derived from scant and insufficient materials and not because I was wanting in respect due to my predecessors. The Notes contain chiefly extracts from the Commentaries, and though they may occasionally furnish not all the information required, still they give all that is offered by native writers for the elucidation of the text. For easier passages the Glossary which contains the Samskrit translation of the Prâkrit words adopted by the commentators, will be sufficient.
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Dr. Bühler advised to write my Introduction and Notes in English in order to make my book at once accessible to Indian readers. It seems to me that the Hindu scholars who are willing to take into account the researches of their European colleagues, deserve some consideration, and that it also is the interest of the
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