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PREFATORY NOTE
The articles which have been selected to form this book were written by me at different times and on several occasions and publi. shed from time to time in the periodicals devoted to researches in Indology. They have been assembled here in the book with a view to acquainting the readers with my beliefs and opinions which I formed in course of my studies in such topics as the religion, philosophy, education, languages, literature, social conditions in a particular period and place etc. etc.
There is, therefore, no scope of writing an Introduction to the book such as the present one because the subject treated is not one and the articles are not concerned with one particular situation only or with one particular period of time.
I have, therefore, been content in this brief Prefatory Note with attempting a summary of informations contained in some of these articles with my observations and evaluations here and there. Of course, there is nothing in them which is unwarranted and unauthorized by contemporary sources and evidences.
To begain with, then, the articles titled "Thus Spake Mahāvīra," “Mahāvīra”, and “Characteristics of Jainism” have got in them my arguments for and about the relevance, acceptability, and applicability of the principles and tenets of Jainism in the present context besides an outline of the salient features and factors responsible for giving shape to Jainism as it wended its way throu h the ages. Also Jainism has been compared and contrasted with other indigenous schools of thought bringing out in bold relief the fact regarding how well it can stand the test of critical, al beit, impartial investigation. I have presented in them my firm conviction and conclusion that it has a potentiality of the panacea correcting and curing all the ills and evils besetting the soul and the society.
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