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पुद्गल-कोश
६८३
So far, as Jainological studies are concerned, encyclopaedias like the Abhidhana Rajendra Kosa and the Jainendra Siddhanta Kosa, several bibliographies, collections of colophons, catalogues of manuscripts, glossaries of technical terms, dictionaries of historical persons and places, and collections of inscriptions and of other historical records like pontifical genealogies and Vijnapti-patras, etc. have already been published. These reference books are undoubtedly of immence help to the research scholar of Jainological studies. The
n of topical dictionaries like the present one is, however, a bit different from that of the works mentioned above.
The late Sri Mohanlal Banthia was, perhaps the first to initiate, develop and launch upon a scheme of compiling topical dictionaries of Jaina religion, philosophy and traditions. He was lucky in having a hardworking, dedicated and competent assistant in Pt Srichand Choraria. The scheme covered about a thousand topics, but to begin with they compiled and published in 1966 the Lesya-Kos, in 1969 the Kriya - Kos, in 1980 the Vardhaman Jivan-Kos Part I, and its Part II in 1984 in the form of the present publication.
The object in compiling and publishing this 'Cyclopaedia of Vardhaman', as they have called it, is to indicate with references the known sources, quoting the different texts with their Hipdi translations, on almost all the details or data relating to Bhagavan Vardhamana Mahavira (599-527 B. C.), the 24th and last Thirthankara of the Jaina tradition. The sources utilised include the canonical texts, their commentaries and the non-canonicai literature of the Swetambara tradition, alongwith the more important works of the Digambara tradition, a few of Buddhist aud Brahamanical works relevant to the purpose, and some later encyclopaedias, dictionaries and reference volumes.
Part I of the Kos contained details of the life of the great Hero from his conception to nirvana, whereas Part II, the present volume, deals with the 33 or so previous births of him as gleaned from the Swetambara and Digambara sources, incidentally facilitating a comparative study of the two traditional accounts, besides, the five kalyanakas or auspicious events of his life, his aliases or epithets, his eulogies, his samavasarana, divya-dhvani or Discourse Divine, his Sangha or the fourfold order, his disciples including the eleven
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