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Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain is a mature scholar and a book like this from this pen is sure to be useful to all those who want to have a full acquaintence with Jainism in its various aspects. The General Editors are very thankful to him for giving the work for publication to the Bharatiya Jnanpith. We are grateful to the authorities of the Bharatiya Jnanpith, especially to its enlightened President, Smt. Rama Jain and to its benign Patron, Shriman Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, for arranging the publication of this work on the occasion of the 2500th Narvāṇa festival in honour of Bhagavān Mahāvīra. Our thanks are also due to Shri L.C. Jain, who is enthusiastically implementing the schemes of publication undertaken by the Jnanpith.
A.N. Upadhye 2nd April, 1975.
Kailash Chandra Shastri
