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Preface I have pleasure in writing a few words by way of preface to 'A critical study of the Mulācāra' in Hindi by Dr. Phool Chandra Jain. It is a Doctoral Dissertation approved for the Ph.D. Degree of Banaras Hindu University in the year 1977 and thoroughly revised by the author in the light of his study of the Jaina canonical literature during subsequent years.
According to the traditional History of Jaina Sangha the sacred lore prescribing the way of life and code of conduct for an ascetic was comprising of sixteen thousand padas and was known as ācārāmga acceptable to the entire Jaina Samgha. It continued through oral tradition for a long time till it was reduced to writing.
In the available canonical literature of the Jainas the first ardhamagadhi agama known as acārāmga-sútra is accepted by the Svetāmbara sect. According to Digambara tradition the sixteen thousand padas of acārāmga were concised and reduced to writing by vattakeri. This acárāmga is now popularly known as the Mulācāra . It prescribes a full cnde of conduct for a Jaina Śramana in twelve chapters compris. ing of 1252 Prakrit gāthas. Each chapter in itself is as good as an independent compendium of the subject delt in it.
It is significant that Hundreds of Prakrit gāthás of this work are commonly found in many of the ardhamāgadhi and saurasení canonical texts with some what dialectical changes. Scholars have different opinion on this issue, Late Professor A. N. Upadhye and others are of the view that these are the heritage of the undevided main stream of the Jaina tradition and have been commonly recorded by various ācāryas in their respective works. It is interesting to note that some găthās are peculiarly found in Pali canons as well. While studying such traditional heritage scepticism, prejudices and pretentions should be avoided and thorough investigations should be made to achieve fruitful results
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