________________ GENERAL EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has so far published 53 volumes in the Singhi Jain Series. When late Muni Jinavijayaji had been to Santiniketan in 1931 December he had started the Singhi Jain Grantha-Mala with the very liberal financial assistance of late Shri Bahadursimhaji Singhi. When the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was started in 1938, late Shri Muniji joined the Bhavan at the special invitation of late Shri Munshiji and entrusted the Singhi Jain Series to the Bhavan. Since then the Bhavan has brought out this series with meticulous care and this prestigious series has received respect of scholars and international recognition. Late Muniji remained its General Editor till his death which took place on June 3, 1976. . II Muniji was born on January 27, 1888 A.D., at Rupaheli in Mewar in Rajasthan. His parents were Vriddhisimhaji and Rajkumari. They were Rajput farmers and Muniji's original name was Kisan Singh. At a young age he joined the Sect of a Baba, then a Marwari Jain monk and then ultimately was initiated by Muni Sundervijayaji and named Jinavijayaji. With keenness and industry he devoted himself entirely to exploring Bhandaras and manuscripts and reading, editing and making research. He went to Jaisalmer, Baroda, Bombay and Poona. Gandhiji invited him to Gujarat Vidyapith at Ahmedabad. He gave up the costume of a monk to pursue more vigorously his research plans. In 1928 he went to Germany at the invitation of Dr. Jacobi. Coming back to India, he had joined the Dandi March at Gandhiji's call. Thereafter, he joined Santiniketan at Gurudev Tagore's invitation and it was here as stated above in 1931 that this Singhi Series was started ! After Muniji joined the Bhavan, this series has become a very prestigious and integral part of the Bhavan. Even though he went to Jaipur as Director to serve his native place, the Singhi Series was purposely and continuously kept entrusted to the Bhavan by Muniji. In Jaipur he established a Research Institute and started another series. He then went to Chanderia near Chittor and started a Sarvodaya Sadhana Ashram. At Udsipur he laid foundation of Bhamasa Bharati Mandir and Shri Haribhadra Suri Smriti Mandir. He received the co-operation of a number of learned scholars and has edited more than a hundred rare works. He delivered Thakkar Vasanji Vyakhyanamala of the Bombay University, 1. Regarding the life of the founder of the Singhi Series, see the Prasasti by Muniji in Sanskrit in Kumarapalacharitra Sangraha and other volumes of this series. 2. Regarding Muniji's life, see his Sanskrit Prasasti in Kumarapalacharitra Sangraha and other volumes of this series as also the article by Pandit Sukhlaji in Darsan and Chintan, pp. 94 ff.
