Navtattva Prakaran

Author(s): Shriprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshvanatha Vidyapith

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but at the same time also a prolific writer. Since commentaries found on the text do not date prior to the period of Vādideva Süri, taking into consideration the above citation and discussion of earlier scholars it can be inferred that he himself was the original author (mülkāra) of the text, but in absence of any literary evidence it can't be said with a degree of certainty.
However, putting aside all the discrepancies about its author, date and number of verses etc. it remains an important work expounding the concept of nine categories of truth. The work is highly useful to those, beginner in Jaina Philosophy.
Besides its multiple editions, along with commentaries, avacüris etc. in Prāksta, Samskrit, Gujarati and Hindi available, no serious efforts were made for its English rendering. I undertook this task to make more familiar to the readers by this important work. While translating, I have used mostly common and familiar equivalents of the terms given in original so that the general reader could comprehend it easily.
Before, I conclud it is my pleasant duty to acknowledge my debt to those, instrumental in this endevour.
The desirability of the English rendering of this Navatattvaprakaraṇa was first suggested to me by Dr. Jitendra B. Shah, Director, Sharadaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre, Ahmedabad in 1993, when I was associated with that Institute. I express my thanks to Dr. Shah. My appointment in Parśvanātha Vidyāpītha in 1994 left the work incompleted. I putforth this proposal to Prof. Sagarmal Jain, Director, Parsvanatha Vidyāpītha, who kindly agreed. I am grateful to Prof. Jain whose kind blessing sustained me allthrough this noble undertaking and without whose interest this work would not have seen the light of the day.
My special thanks are also due to the authorities of VidyapithaShri. B.N. Jain, Secretary and Shri I. Barar, Jt. Secretary who so kindly consented its publication.
I record my sincere thanks to my senior colleague Dr. A.K. Singh who throughout gave his valuable suggestions.
January 1998
Dr. Shriprakash Pandey