Samraditya

Author(s): Pushkarmuni, Devendramuni
Publisher: Shree Lakshmi Pustak Bhandar

Page 10

Jain literature of stories is at least always this : "To inspire the reader to do some good action or other through the medium of storya telling."
Right from the Agamas, in the Puranas, Biographies, Poems, Rasas and Folk-tales, there are thousands of famous stories. Even today they are read with interest in the form of the Puranas, Rasas and the Akhyanas. It is true that. because the majority of this literature is written in Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhransh or modified, Gujarati or Rajasthani language, and they are moreover, in poetry form, majority of persons can not take advantage of them. Such people can know something only by hearing their significance and description. ·
It is extremely necessary to present this.. valuable storehouse of the Jain story-literature, in English language. It is beyond the ken of one single individual to compile inexhaustible and immeasurable story-literature. Just as the Chariot of God Jagannath can be drawn only by thousands of hands collectively, in the same way, long-standing efforts of many thinkers possessing originality are essential in order to rejuvenate the ancient literature available