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PREFACE
The first Volume of the Mahapurana of Puşpadanta containing the first thirtyseven samdhis out of a total of one hundred and two was issued in 1937 as No 37 of the Manikchand Digambara Jaina Granthamala, Bombay, under the kind patronage of the Trustees of that Series. I am now issuing the second Volume of the work containing the next forty-three samdhis (xxxviii-Ixxx) in the same Series as No 41 and under the patronage of the same Trustees as also of the University of Bombay. I hope to issue the third and the last Volume of the work within a year from now.
It is my pleasant duty to thank all those who have assisted me in the production of this second Volume. In the first place I should like to thank most heartily the Managing Trustee of the Manikchand Digambara Jaina Granthamala, Mr. Thakordas Bhagwandas Javeri, who, in spite of low funds of the Mala, agreed to finance the publication. To Pandit Nathuram Premi and Professor Hiralal Jain of King Edward College, Amraoti, the Secretaries of the Malā, I owe a special debt of gratitude. The funds of the Mala, after the publication of the first Volume of the work, were completely exhausted, and I feared that I would be forced to abandon the work unfinished, but these learned scholars moved heaven and earth to find out the required amount for publication. I am to thank Professor Hiralal Jain specially for his having secured for my use the Ms. of the Uttarapuräna designated A in the Critical Apparatus and also of the Tippaņa of Prabhācandra from Master Motilal Sanghi Jain, Sanmati Pustakalaya, Jaipur, who very kindly placed them at my disposal as long as I wanted them for collation work. My thanks go to Master Motilal for this kindness. Mr. R. G. Marathe, M. A., formerly my pupil and now Professor of Ardha-Magadhi at the Willingdon College, Sangli, helped me for the collation of this Volume also. My thanks go to him for the help he rendered me. Nor should I forget to mention thankfully the work of Mr. R. D. Desai of the New Bharat Printing Press, Bombay, and his willing staff of Proof-readers and Pressmen who are responsible for the excellent get-up and faultless execution of this Volume.
Lastly, the Editor and the Publishers acknowledge their indebtedness to the University of Bombay for the substantial financial help (Rs. 650/- ) it has granted towards the cost of publication of this Volume.
Nowrosjec Wadia College,
Poona August 1940
P. L. Vaidya
[2]
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