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PAUMACARIU OF SVAYAMBHU
take in this matter is that my labours could serve to realize Muniji's long-cherished desire to place Svayambhūs great work before the public. But public acknowledgement of indebtedness has always a formal ring about it, and due to my long association with Muniji and due to his personal interest in my work, I seem to have by now aequired something like a right, by constant use, over his affection and generosity. I can only earnestly wish that for many years to come he may continue to inspire, guide and bless us and offer at the shrine of Sarasvati the prize fruits of his life-long labours.
Next I may take this opportunity to acknowledge the debt of my various predecessors in general in the field of Apabhramsa studies, and here special mention should be made of L. Alsdorf of Hamburg University. His masterly Harivamsa-Purāna is in several ways a pioneering work in Apabhramáa textual editing and text-based studies. The clear stamp of that work would be readily recognised on the method, form and character of text. editing and general studies presented in the Paumacariu. Of course nd presumptuous comparison is to be suspected in these words. I am only trying to say that I have greatly benefited by Alsdorf's method, insights and results as revealed by his adition of the Harivaṁsa portion of Puşpadanta's Mahāpurāņa.
For the loan of Mss. and other materials used in editing the text, and for the printing of the book, my sincere thanks are due to the following persons and institutions : The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona and Dr. P. K. Gode, the learned and ever-helpful Superitntendent of the Mss. department; the Trustees of the Godikā Jain Temple Mss. Collection, Sanganer and Dr. Hiralal Jain, Director, Vaishali Institute of Prakrit and Jainology, Muzaffarpur; the Managing Committee and the Secretary of the Srī Digambar Atiśay Kșetra Sri Mahāvīrji, Jaipur; the trustees of the Digambar Jain Terahpanthi Bară Mandir Šāstra Bhaņdār, Jaipur; late Pandi Nathuram Premi, the then General Secretary of the Manikyacandra Digambar Jain Granthamala; the Trustees of the Ailaka Pannalal Sarasvati Bhaņdār, Bombay; the Manager and the workers of the Nirnayasagar Press, Bombay.
Great credit goes to Sri Rajendra Singh Singhi and Śrī Narendra Singh Singhi for their continued patronage to the Singhi Jain Series, which has since long become indispensable to
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