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II
and culture of India is almost entirely untapped. When I was Professor of Ardba-Māgadhi and Gujarati in the Post-graduate Department of the Gujarāt Vidya Sabhū at Ahmedabad for more than seven years from 1943 to 1951, I was busy on the same project and had prepared hundreds of cards for it. But it was realised in course of time that it was too big a work to be finished in a life-time. In fact, there should be a number of experts working simultaneously in a Department to execute a well-considered and phased project. I had to modify my line of work, and the Gujarat Vidyā Sabhā published in 1952 my book, Jaina Agama Sāhitya-māṁ Gujarīt (Gujarāt in Jaina Canonical Literature'), utilising a limited part of the work done, Now I am very happy to note that a section of this newly established Institute will be engaged on this work and that the material collected by me will be useful to them. A young but mature scholar like Mr. Dalsukh Malvania, highly proficient in Jaina and Buddhist Canon and Indian philosophy, has been recently appointed as Director of this Institute, and we anxiously look forward to a speedy progress in this specialised study, which is bound to throw new light on almost all branches of Indology.
It is fitting that the Government of Bihar have established a centre of Jaina study at the birth-place of Mahāvira. Jainism had its origin. in Bihar, but eventually its centre of gravity shisted to Western India. The Second Council for the redaction of Jaina Canon was convened by Arya Nāgārjuna at Valabli in Saurāşțra in the 9th century after the Nirvāņa of Mahāvira, almost simultaneously with a similar Council convened by Arya Skandila at Mathurā. Again, in the year 980 ( or 993 ) after the death of Mahāvīra ( i. e. in 454 or 467 A. D.), a Council was held at Valabhi presided over by Devarddhigani, traditionally the author of the Nandi Sūtra, and the whole Canon-was written down for the first time under its auspiccs. In fact, that was a great event in Jaina history and it is quite significant that Valabhi was selected as the prettigg:place for
