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IV
The Jnanpith, which is so particular about the publication of ancient Indian literature and also in encouraging the progress of modern Indian literature, cannot but take into account the 2500th Nirvāṇa Mahotsava of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, one of the greatest sons of India and one of the outstanding humanists the civilised world has ever produced. Naturally, the Jnanpith, amongst its various plans to celebrate the occasion, has undertaken the publication of important works which shed light on the heritage of Mahāvīra. Numerous teachers, authors and dignitaries have enriched the cultural heritage of our country in which Jainism has a significant place. Jain teachers have preached a way of living which has proved beneficial to many, here as well as elsewhere. What Jainism has stood for in the cultural history of our country deserves special study in its various aspects.
In the present volume, Religion & Culture of The Jains, Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain has presented an exhaustive treatise on Jainism. To begin with, he surveys the antiquity of Jainism through the epoch of 24 Tirthankaras ending with Mahāvīra. He indicates further how the Jain church received royal patronage now and then and also passed through various vicissitudes in its career in different parts of India. In a nutshell, he has discussed the ontology as well as the cosmology and the course of spiritual development prescribed in Jainism. The general theory of knowledge is indicated in its details with special stress on Anekanta and Syadvāda. Jainism lays down a twofold code of morality one for the householder and the other for the ascetic. The former is more or less a diluted form of the latter. Jainism prescribes a way of life in which worship, fasts and festivals have their special significance. Jains have richly contributed to the heritage of Indian art and architecture. This aspect also is discussed in this work. Jain contributions to Indian literature have a wider appeal and are found in various languages. The author concludes how Jainism holds a message of peace and hope for humanity.
The appendices are useful as a source of reference; and the work contains some plates illustrating important specimens of Jain art and architecture.
