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PREFACE
Work on the present edition of the Vajjalagga was started by me in the year 1961 at the instance of the Prakrit Text Society, as a part of the Society's plan to bring out new editions of ancient Prakrit literary works. I am grateful to Dr. A. N. Upadhye for having introduced me to the Prakrit Text Society and for having suggested to the Society that the work of editing the Vajjalagga be entrusted to me. Though in this way work on the present edition was started eight years back, much progress could not be achieved due to my preoccupation with teaching and administrative work in the Fergusson College, Poona. It was only in April-May-June 1965, that I found it possible to complete the press-copy of the text of the Vajjālagga and of the Sanskrit commentary of Ratnadeva, with the help of manuscripts lent to me by the L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. The printing of the text and commentary was started in 1965. The writing of the English translation and explanatory notes progressed side by side with the printing of the text and commentary during 1965-1967.
Throughout the progress of this work, Dr. A. N. Upadhye took very keen interest and made very valuable suggestions to me regarding the general plan and contents of the work and regarding typography and get-up. He even volunteered to correct the proofs in the penultimate stage, in spite of his other multifarious academic pursuits and preoccupations. I am extremely thankful to him for all the trouble that he has taken and for the constant encouragement that he gave me for the execution of the work.
I am also deeply obliged to the Prakrit Text Society for having entrusted the present work to me, and to the L. D. Institute of Indology and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute for having allowed me to use a number of manuscripts of the Vajjalagga for a pretty long time. My thanks are also due to Shri Sardesai of the Veda-Vidya Mudranalaya, Poona, for the nice printing of the book.
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