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INTRODUCTION
Jain Education International
antiquity. As stated at the end of this Prakirṇaka, it originally consisted of 1233 gāthās. But one or more scholar munis have added 28 gāthās to these 1233 original gāthās, for the sake of elucidation, since very early days. Even if we do not take into account the gāthās quoted from the Nandisutra, the Avaśyakaniryukti and the Suryaprajñaptiniryukti etc., it is difficult to arrive at the original total number 1233 of the gāthās.
Muni Śrī Punyavijayaji has hinted at some inconsistent statements occurring in this Prakirṇaka. For this one may refer to 'A Note on Jaina Agamas' prefaced to this Introduction. The Prakirṇaka contains a story of the king Kalki. The date of the king Kalki, given in it, is wrong. Centuries have passed after that date. That is, the king Kalki has not flourished in the period which this Prakirnaka assigns him to. The Mahānisīthasūtra contains some information about the king Kalki. But Agastyasimhagani who flourished earlier than the Bhāṣyakara sthaviras, expresses his opinion, in his Daśavaikālikacurņi, that to make simply a general statement viz. "there will be a king named Kalki in future" is unscientific (aśāstriya); see this volume, p. 470, fn 2.
This Prakirṇaka treats of the two Cycles of Time, viz. avasarpiņi (waning cycle) and utsarpini (waxing cycle), and six divisions (aras) of each cycle. It relates the biography of Rṣabhadeva and events of simultaneous birth etc. of Tirthankaras in ten kṣetras (lands), past births and auspicious events etc. of 24 Tirthankaras, and the information about cakravartins, vāsudevas and baladevas. In gāthās 621-627 there is given exact period of kingship or reign of the kings Pālaka, Maruka, Puşyamitra, Balamitra, Bhānumitra, Nabhaḥsena and Gardabharājā as also of the kings belonging to Saka lineage. The story of the king Kalki is told in gāthās 628-689. Again this tract extensively deals with the lineage of Kalki's son Dattarājā, paṭṭaparampara beginning from Lord Viravarddhamana and ending with Sthulabhadraji, extinction of the Scriptures, viz. Acaranga etc. (gāthās 807-836), and the similar topics. Thus ends the succinct account of this tract.
Three publishers, viz. Śvetāmbara (Cara Thui) Jaina Samgha, Jalore and others have jointly published in Vira Samvat 2500 (1974-1975 A.D.) this Prakirṇaka with Sanskrit chāyā and Hindi translation. Pam. Kalyanavijayaji and Thā. Gajasimha Rathod, Nyaya-Vyakaranatirtha, are the editors and translators of this edition. The quality of the editing work is such as we are very much puzzled to read the name of that well known scholar Kalyanavijayaji as one of the editors. This point will be clear from what follows. Though I have not seen him, I have had the good fortune to read his research articles and works as also to hear my guru
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