Preface On Shalibhadra Dhanna Charitra

Author(s): Ernest Bender
Publisher: Ernest Bender

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PREFACE
This work is dedicated to Muni Sri Punyavijayaji in recognition of his notable contributions to Jain researches and in appreciation of his generous support and encouragement of my studies over a period of four decades. Never confined by sectarian bias, he was always available to share with scholar and layman, alike, the riches of his learning. Concomitant with his concentration on the preparction for publication of Jain canonical texts was his purpose to direct interest to the secular literature composed in Prākrit, Apabhramsa and Old Western Rājasthānī for the special Jain cultural content of the genre. He arranged and reorganized the holdings of Jain bhaņdārs in Gujarāt and Rājasthān. In the process of cataloguing their collections, he rescued from virtual anonymity a number of rare texts, many of them of inestimable value for their illuminations. He facilitated their access to researchers and, in this way, made possible significant contributions to the appreciation and comprehension of Indian miniature painting. His vast collection of manuscripts, which he presented to "the L. D. Institute of Indology of Ahmedabad, forms the foundation of its admirable library. His influence on Jain studies will long be felt and his memory preserved with reverence and affection.
The major portion of my studies was pursued during my tenure of fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. I was also the recipient of a grant for