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PAÑCALINGĪPRAKARANAM
IN A WORD
W e received the motivation for working on this volume when Dr.
Baya came in contact with Sadhvi Shri Neelanjanashriji, of Khartar gaccha, who was thinking of working for her Ph.D. thesis on the topic 'A Philosophical Study of Pañcalingīprakarapam'. However, she was dissuaded in this pursuit by the nonavailability of a translation of this work in Hindi. After investing a considerable time and effort to get hold a suitable translation, and failing to do so, she chose another subject for her thesis. However, this disappointment by Sadhviji motivated Dr. Baya enough to take up the work of Hindi and English translation of this important Jaina philosophical work so that no other inquisitive student may face such disappointment in future. Therefore, the first of all we thank Sadhviji Shri Neelanjanashriji for this motivation.
Col. Baya possesses some knowledge of Sanskrt but he lacked the dexterity required for handling a philosophical work of this gravity. So, he approached Dr, Boliya with a proposal that she does the Samskīt rendering and Hindi translation of the Prakrt verses. She agreed readily and we became a team.
Like a team, we divided the work between us according to our abilities. Hemlataji very ably did the most difficult work of rendering the Prakrt versesinto Samskệt and translating them into Hindi. Though she had to use some particles such as “khalu', ‘nu', etc for the sake of metre but took care that the meaning intended by the author of the original text is not lost. Even then the scholars must interpret the text according to their own wisdom. In this work, she was blessed and guided by Sadhviji MewarMalav Jyoti Shri Chandrakalashriji and we bow to her in reverence. We are also indebted to Sadhvis Shri Harshpriyaji and Muditpriyaji, both disciples of Sadhviji Shri Muktipriyaji who encouraged Hemlataji from the very beginning. Hemlataji also received valuable help from Dr. Shakti Kumar
