Moksha Marg Prakashak

Author(s): Todarmal Pandit
Publisher: Kundkund Kahan Digambar Jain Trust

Page 22

[ xix )
The last book was completed by Pandit Daulatram Kasliwal in 1770. His prose style is pure, fully developed and comprehensible. The most beautiful form of his style can be seen in his original work Moksha Marg Prakashak. His language originally Brij, has the stiffness of Khari-Boli and also local tinge. It is strong and fine enough to express forcefully his ideas and feelings. Though books numbers 2 to 6 were written by the author separately, yet looking to their complementary nature the author gave them a collective name Samyaginana Chandrika". MOKSHA MARG PRAKASHAK
Moksha Marg Prakashak is one of the most important original works of Pandit Todarmalji. The basis of this treatise is not anyone Jain spiritual shastra but the whole of the available Jain literature. This was to be, in reality, a meaningful effort of engrossing all the fundamentals of Jain philosophy and rituals; but it is regretted that this profoundly learned treatise could not be completed due to the untimely passing away of the author. In spite of being incomplete, it is acknowledged all everywhere as a unique contribution to available Jain literature. This is one of the most popular books whose several editions have been published not only in Hindi but in several other Indian languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu, etc. Till today, in all 1,50,000 copies have been published in various languages. Besides, hundreds of handwritten copies of this book are found in the libraries of Digamber Jain Temples throughout India. In the whole of Digamber Jain Society this is the most popular Shastra for community collective reading and as a basis of sermons in regular religious congregations. The original handwritten copy in the hand of Pandit Todarmalji is also available in the famous temple at Jaipur-"Shri Deewanji Ka Mandir”- where Pandit Todarmalji used to lecture everyday to a gathering of more than a thousand persons.
This book, written in simple spoken language, is the result of the inner inspiration and pious desire of the author to enlighten those curious fellow-citizens who could not understand and get the real message of Jain philosophy and fundamentals available in intricate works written in Sanskrit and Prakrit by Jain Acharyas. No other worldly ambition has been the inspiring force behind writing this book.