Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

Author(s): Harilal Jain, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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Foreword
On the auspicious occasion of 2500th Nirvāṇa Year of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, it is the privilege of Bhāratiya Jñānapītha to publish this book, Mahāvīra : His Times and His Philosophy of Life, written by the two eminent Indologists and Jainologists of our times, late Dr. Hiralal Jain and Dr. A.N. Upadhye. This is, in fact, an edited collection of two separte pieces; one, the English translation of an essay written in Hindi by Dr. Hiralal Jain, as a preface to Vira-Jiņimda-cariu and the other, a speech by Dr. A.N. Upadhye delivered to a gathering of distinguished persons under the auspices of the Indian Institute of Culture, Bangalore. Though the two pieces were written and conceived differently, they make an excellent unit covering different aspects connoted by the title of the book. A careful eye, however, will not fail to see slight repetition, here and there, which is bound to occur under the circumstances. We have long been wanting to see a book on Mahāvīra which would be comprehensive enough to cover all the essentials, and yet not too technical to tax the understanding of the general reader. This publication seems to be the best answer so far. Its special virtue is that it presents Bhagavān Mahāvīra's biographical particulars without any sectarian overtones; the common human problems of his times in conjunction with those faced by Buddha; and the tenets of Mahāvīra's philosophy as they were and are ever relevant to the past and the present generations. To harmonise authors' intellectual authenticity with a devout reader's acceptability is a work of distinction.