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लेश्या-कोश
and the second volume was the cyclopaedia of kriya. Both these volumes promed to be the complete cyclopaedia of two highly technical subjects of Jain Philosophy. Now, this third volume, which is an exhaustive collection of material related to the life of Bhagawan Mahavira. whose birth-name was Vardhamana.
The learned coupilers of this cyclopaedia work, Late Shri Mohan Lal Banthia and Shri Shrichand Choraria, have takep paids to collect all the available material concerning the life of Bhagawan Mahavira from all literary sources-the Jain canons, the commentaries on the Jain canons, the later non-canonical Prakit and Sanskrit works, the Buddhist Pali texts, as well as other available sources.
The present work is only the first part of the volume, which will be published in three partf. The decimai system used for classification of topics signific a scientific approach in topical classification and makes it easy to find out any sub-topic.
It is definitely an unique work on the life of Bhagawan Mahavira, elucidating simultaneously all the aspects including those of historical significance. The combedeo deserve congratulations for their hard labour. The cyclopaedia publications in the series will become a valuable repository of Jain learning for ages to come.
-Muni Shri Mahendra Kumar ( Disciple of Acharya Shri Tulsi )
Vardhaman Jivan Kosa or Cyclopaedia of Vardhamana (in Hindi) Part I, compiled by Srichand Choraria, published by Jaina Darsan Samiti, Calcutta, 1980. Price Rs. 50.00/65 sh.
This is rather belated publication of the life-story of vardhamana, better known as Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of the Jainas, and has more to say on the man as Mahavira than as Vardhamana. Hence the title is likely to be misleading. It is belated because it could not take its place alongside the plethora of literature on Mahavira that appeared in 1975. But better late than never.
The work follows the line laid down by the late Mohanlal Banthia, viz, that of bringing together between two covers relevant
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