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vows or Mahāvratas to be observed by 'the Jaina monks is aparigraha or absence of worldly possession, and the books were likely to become parigraha or possession, and hence in some parts of the Canonical literature it is clearly stated that a monk shonld not possess the books, and even for copying or handling a book an atonement is prescribed. But later on, as the literature on various religious subjects increased, it became difficult 'to remember all that and books were accepted as inevitable tools of knowledge, so much so that a regular Council of religionis teachers was held to write down the whole Canon systematically, and copying of books and donating them to worthy monks and nuns came to be considered one of the seven Kșetras in which the lay follower was enjoined to spend his wealth. Though in its early history Jainism was against all forms of worldly possessions including hooks, ultimately it came to be the only organised religion in India which attached the utmost importance to books and establishment and maintenance of libraries. Jiūna in its most tangible form as books was worshipped and a special į festival came to be observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Kārtika, known as Jränapasicami, and considerable narrative literature on the topic has developed in Sanskrit, Prākrit, Apabhraṁsa and regional languages. This is, in fact, the genesis of the Jñana-Bhāņdāra of the Jainas. Apart from the famous places like Pāțan, Cambay and Jaisalmer there is hardly any town with a sizable population of the Jainas in Gujarät, Rājasthan and Mālvā where Svetāmhara Jainism was and still is in a flourishing state, which has not a JřiānaBhāngāra of its own. All these Bhānçlāras belong to the community and not to any individual. Even if we do not consider the numerous manuscripts in the individual possession of the Yatis (Svetāmbara counterparts of the Digambara Bhattārakas), the aggregate number of manuscripts in Jaina Bhūņdāras in these parts of the country, on a most conservative estimate, is not less than ten lakhs. These are not libraries of merely Jaina religious books, but they are general libraries meant for the use
