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An article on heretics in Jainism and another on the Ājivika sect point to an axiomatic truth that no age in human history was free from the infectious virus of non-conformism. Even Mabāvira, a spiritual leader nonpareil, had a doctrinal adversary in Jamāli who was his one-time conscience-keeper next only to Gautama and a concep. tual opponent in Gośālaka who joined him only to defect from him and became a wily and vehement antagonist indulging in a malicious propaganda against Mahāvira which ended in Mahavira's triumph and Gośālaka's downfall. True, the history of defectors always makes a painful reading.
There is a common charge, veiled or obvious, said or upsaid, on Indian culture that it has reserved a comparatively small place for female education in its boastful social scheme. I have tried to invalidate it in my article on female education, though it is restricted to Buddhist literature only, advancing facts and fegures which are substantiated by various Buddhist works.
Jainism was at its zenith in Gujarat in the medievel period when Siddharāja and Kumārapāla ruled. Whether it was languages or literature, art or architecture, painting or sculpture, every thing, was Jainism-oriented. At least in this period in Gujarat, history minus Jainism looks insipid and anaemic. This is what the readers will find in my article on Jainism in Gujarat.
Outstanding peculiarities of Prākrits, Apabhraṁsa and Old Gujarāti, have been spelt out in the two articles concerning them.
" Kuvalayamālā” which is a literal English translation of Muni Jinavijayaji's article as also that of the three articles on Jambu, his life, date and traditions connected with him have also been included in the book as they all throw much light on the unsettled chronology regarding the dates of Haribhadra, Udyotana and Gunapāla.
The striking Subhâsitas, the religious and moral element, the intervening stories occurring in Gunapāla's Jambucariyam have been described, discussed and critically assessed in the four articles relating to it.
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