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पुद्गल - कोश
वर्धमान जीवन कोश प्रथम खण्ड पर समीक्षा
Vardhamana, better known as Bhagwan Mahavira, was the last in the series of twenty-four Tirthankaras of the Jaina traditionHe is withobt doubt a historical celebrity who lived in the sixth century before Christ, i e. frow 599 to 527 B. C., and occupies an important place in the cultural history of India. Acclaimed as one of the greatest teachers of mankind, he possesses a universal appeal and an all-time relevance. The religious, philosophical and cultural system now known as the Jaina owes its final shaping to Bhagwan Mahavira. He was not the original founder of this system which, in its genesis, reaches back to early pre-historic times when Lord Rishabha. the First Tirthankara. taught man the rudiments of human civilization, the manner to live a meaningful life, and the Ahimsite path to liberation through renunciation and spiritual uplift. The succeeding Tirthankaras, right up to parshvanatha (877-777 B C) the penultimate. and Vardhamana Mahavira (599-527 B. C) the last of them, preached the same creed for the good of all the living beings, in their own ways and respective times. Naturally, the Jains (followers of the Jinals creed ), all over the world, adore Mahavira, the Jina, as the most worshipful one.
६९६
A few years ago, the 2500th anniversary of Lord Mahavira's Nirvana was celebrated all over India, and even abroad, with befitting zeal. One salutary effect of these celebrations was that Mahavira's name received an unprecedented publicity which made people curious to know more about this great benefactor of mankind Consequently, scores of books, big and small, dealing whih the life and teachings of the Lord, written by different scholars and in different languages, were published.
The present work, The Vardhaman Jivana-kosha, or a 'dictionary of Mahavira's biographical Data', is a valuable addition to modern literature on ihe subject. It is not actually a biography of the hero, but is a topical dictionary of the biographical details relating to Mahavira, as available in the different li terary sources.
Jyoti Prasad Jain
Jyoti Nikunj, Charbagn, Lucknow-1 12 March 1980
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