________________
PREFACE
( three
make out that the language of the present Rāsaka was to some extent of that sort which was found in the PrthvīrājaRäsar, though the form appeared quite different. I became eager to study the Rāsaka and I copied it completely with my own hand. I also hoped to possibly find in the Bhandars some other Ms. of this poem containing some Tabbā (Gujarātī gloss) or Bālāvabodha on it, so that it can facilitate the understanding of the poem. For I had already come across in those Bhandārs some Mss. of the works like the Bhāvanāsandhi written in the same sort of language and containing a Gujarātī gloss.
After this some five to seven years elapsed. During this, I was progressing in my study of the Prākrit grammar. The study of Hemacandra's grammar helped me to peep into the exact nature of Prākrit, Apabhraṁsa etc. In 1918 A. C. when in Poona I was enganged in examining the Jain section of the Government Manuscript collection brought to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, I came across another Ms. of this Rāsaka there, and I was very glad to find that that new Ms. contained, as I had anticipated, a chāyā-like Sanskrit Avacūrıktī on the text of the Rāsaka. I had then a mind to get prepared a transcript of that Ms. After this when I joined the Gujarāt Vidyāpīth and undertook to organize the activities of the Gujarāt Purātattva Mandir, I thought of publishing the Rāsaka in the Purātattva Granthāvali that was to be started by that Institution. I acquired the Ms. from Pātan as also from Poona and started to note down the variant readings, etc. gradually. But much progress could not be made in that owing to my being occupied with other undertakings. In the meanwhile I received a letter from that great indologist and German savant Prof. Hermann JACOBI. He had asked from me some information regarding the works of Apabhramsa literature that could be found in the Patan Bhandars. For it was Prof. JACOBI who had started a new era in Apabhraṁsa studies by publishing the Apabhramsa texts Bhavisattakaha of Dhanapāla and the Sanatkumāracarita of Haribhadra and had begun to search diligently for the literary treasures of that language. I sent him particulars regarding the Tiscttthilukkhance-Malumpurāna of Puşpadanta together with
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
