Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 205

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Indian languages which in their turn gave rise to modern Indian languages. We will be able to fill the existing gaps in the history of Rājashānı, Hjodi and Gujarati only if we succeed in our attempt to bring out the Apabhramśa and post-Apabhramśa literature in full and coordinate studies under taken by different scholars in different directions reg. arding this. Instead of taking the conclusions arrived at by foreign scholars as gospel truths, Indian researchers should undertake independent study or should at least check up and verify the generalizations formulated by the foreign scholars. This will consolidate our gains in research
Due to our indifference we have lost in the past many valuable manu: scripts of which Guņādhya's Bribatkathā is one. There are still many thousands of manuscripts in the north and the south. Enormity of the Prākrit and Apabbramśa literature can be very well known from the fact that the number of works written in them goes high above five thousand excluding those of the Jaina Canonical and Commentarial literature in Prākrit. To bring this national bidden wealth to light can be best done at the university level.
Till now no regular and coordinate study of this vast and varied but neglected literature which has preserved our culture was seriously undertaken. This task is stupendous and therefore cannot be carried out by any single institution. There is no possibility of providing facilities on a larger scale unless various universities chalk out a programme of mutual cooperation and an agreed scheme of correlation. What I mean by this is that fully equipped departments without any unnecessary interference from any side should be opened in every university like those of Sanskrit, Humanities, Sociology, Economics etc. etc. for organizing teaching work, furnishing facilities for conducting research and arranging tours to various places where the Bhaņdāras are situated and where new finds are possible.
We should hang our heads down in shame when we see foreign scholars ceaselessly and assiduously working on the manuscript material which they might have collected from the sanctuaries of 1:arning and scholarship in India during their study tours and offering very sound and scientific solutions of knotty problemes of research setting controversies at rest and arriving at conclusions worthy of universal acclaim and acceptance and helpful in formulating new chronologies or reconstructing the old ones as well as throwing light on many a dark spots in philology, linguistics, and literature while we ourselves are merely priding on sheer possession of such a material or a bliss of ignorance. We are in a position to do much if only we have a will and vision. There is no dearth of men, money and material. Only there ghould be awakening awareness. We should be convinced of a need