Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts in Rajasthan ORI Part 02 C

Author(s): Jinvijay
Publisher: Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute Jodhpur

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PRE FACE
This is the fourth volum: published in the series of catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit minuscripts in the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute. The first three volumes are Parts 1, II (A), and II (B). They all contain details of 9,050 Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts accessed upto no. 11,000 in the Jodhpur collection. The volume in hand styled as part II (C) contains details of 1,608 manuscripts preserved in the Jaipur Branch of the Institute. These manuscripts belong to four different collections, the first three of which have been received by donation and the fourth one buing transferred from the Maharaja's Public Library, Jaipur under the Rajasthan Government Order No. F. 6 (41) Edu'B. 57/Dec. 1. 1960.
The first collection of 829 manuscripts containing 1,845 different works, was donated by the late Pt. Ram Gopalji Purohit, B.A., LL.B., son of the late Purohit Harinarayanji Vidya Bhushan, of Jaipur, a wellknown personality in the field of research in the medieval Saint literature in Hindi. The late Purohitji was an ardent lover of such literature and a profound scholar of Hindi, Sanskrit English, and Persian languages, Employed as a Senior Administrative Officer in the erstwhile Jaipur State he could find little time to devote in his literary pursuits, yet his contribution to the Hindi literature in the form of Sundar Granthavali, Vrajnidhi Granthavali, and many other illuminating research articles full of information, literary and historical data, are of no less importance to perpetuate his name in the galaxy of late research scholars in Rajasthan. He had compiled and edited about 40 works some of which are still unpublished. During his life time the Vidya Bhusha nji had collected, besides the contents of his rich reference library, a great number of valuable manuscripts of his own interest.
After his death in 1945 A. D. the library and the collection remained unattended for some time due to the posting of his elder son, the late Purohit Ram Gopalji as District Sessions Judge and on other important positions outside Jaipur. After his retirement from service in 1951 Shri Ram Gopalji could find time to go through and look after the important collection and the rich library so fondly established by his revered father. He threw open the reference library under the name 'Hari Mandir Library' for the use of research scholars, but the question of preservation and putting to proper use the collection of manuscripts constantly haunted his mind. He had conveyed his wishes to the Nagri Pracharini Sabha, Kashi, of which his father was an associate, for taking over the manuscripts on some terms and conditions but this could not be arranged due to some reason or the other. When he was