Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Publisher's Note This institute has been bringing out books on various familiar and non-familiar aspects of Jainology developed out of scholastic efforts of the authors since early fifties of this century. Almost all its publications belong to the category of intellectual nutrition designed for the thinking people very few in number even in this age of scientific development. Despite this, its publications have earned credit for thier quality of contents throughout the scholarly world in India and abroad. They have now reached all the continents of the world of today. The popularity of these publications can be judged by the facts that almost a fourth of its publications have gone out of print with similar number running in more than one editions.
The institute is proud to publish its eighty-fourth book entitled "Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons" by Dr. N. L. Jain who worked on it under the Humanity Research Scheme of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi and approved by them for publication. As the name indicates, the book summarises and evaluates the Scientific Contents ( on six subjects Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology, Food Science and Medical Science ) contained in the major Jaina canonical and pro-canonical literature up to about tenth century. This book encourages us to study these contents with historical and comparative perspective giving due credit to the ancient and medieval Jaina saintly scholars for their ingenuity, keen observation and conceptual power. It shows that they have contributed to almost all the branches of knowledge involving physical sciences which have been only stray explored. Our two earlier publications authored by J. C. Sikdar have encouraged us for this adventure. The author has exhaus