Universal Values of Prakrit Texts

Author(s): Prem Suman Jain
Publisher: Bahubali Prakrit Vidyapeeth and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

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Having surveyed the material we can say that the Jain collection contains a wide range of works relating to all possible areas of knowledge. Because the manuscripts were procured in large numbers and in bundles, perhaps without any careful pre-selection, they are often incomplete or consist in scattered folios. Yet, there are several treasures, some rare texts and/or some illustrated manuscripts (Allan 2003). The Jasaharacariu manuscript, which was unearthed by our team (Kalpana K. Sheth, Kanubhai V. Sheth, Dinanath Sharma and myself) combines both characteristics. As such it is one of those which has been selected for full digitization in the context of the "Jainpedia" project. The aim of this British project, the partner Institutions of which are the Institute of Jainology (London), the Heritage Lottery Fund, King's College (London), on the one hand, and the Wellcome Trust, the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Bodleian Library, on the other hand, is to produce a website giving open access to about 5000 digitized images of manuscript pages with descriptions, and to provide an encyclopaedia of Jainism of academic level containing approximately 300 articles. All the manuscripts have now been digitized and uploaded on the Website, which will be accessible to public soon from now.
The manuscript "Beta 1471" (paper, 27 x 12 cm., 6 or 9-10 lines per page) is incomplete.
* Folios 1 to 3 are missing. The manuscript starts with folio 4.
* Folio 6 is missing.
*The folio coming after folio 9 and before folio 12 has two numberings: "10 1" and "11 2", There is, however, no gap in the text: (9 verso)... turiya sadda kāhalava mālum / nam bhūya(10/11 recto)li jāya upalaya kālum ...(10/11 verso) ...ānehi manu(12 recto)ya-juyala
turantu....
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