Prolegomena to Prakritica et Jainica

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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PROLEGOMENA TO PRAKRITICA et JAINICA
are catalogues of private libraries, collections of Pațțāvalis and of Prasastis, biographies, etc. They all, however, are overshadowed by the “Abhidhānarājendra", a Sanskrit encyclopedia in 7 volumes, whose Prakrit catchwords are taken from the canonical and scholastical literature of the Svetāmbaras, a monumental work by Vijayarājendra Sūri (1827-1907, Ratlam 1913-25). A glossary of the Canon in three languages is the Illustrated Ardha-Magadhi Dictionary of Muni Ratnacandra in 5 volumes (Indaur 1923-32). Prakrits of all kind including that of the Jains have flown together to mix in the ocean called "PāiaSadda-Mahaņņavo, a complete Prakrit-Hindi Dictionary" (1928) by Pandit Hargovind Das Sheth. Precise data of places as well as large supplements will increase the value of that great work. Among the periodicals we should like to mention the Anekānt, Jain Antiquary, Jain Hitaisi where literature and history are being discussed by Jain authors, many of whom, of course, have contributed also to non-Jinist journals. Nearest related to the periodicals are the series (grantha-mālā). In many cases they represent a very remarkable file including rare and significant works provided with a scholarly introduction. It is a pity that many Granthamālās should have become known in the West only in fragments, if at all. The Svetāmbaras can be proud of the volumes, apart from the Siddhānta, published by the Āgamodaya-Samiti, by the Devcand Lālbhāi-J.-Pustakoddhāra, the AtmānandaGrantharatnamālā (Bhn, 1911 ff.), the Yasovijaya-J. -Gr., started in 1904 and apparently the oldest Jain series, and many more literary undertakings which cannot be enumerated here. Our thanks are equally due to the Digambaras. A parallel to the Siddhānta are the classical Digambara authors. They have been printed and translated in the Sacred Books of the Jains (Arrah 1917 ff.; Sanātana-J. Gr.-M. (Ben. 1917ff.); Sri Rāyacandra-J. Šāstra-M. (Bo. 1916ff.) Māņikcănd-J. Gr.-M. (Bo. 1915ff.). The most recent series is the Jñānapīțha-Mürtidevi-J.