Visesavasyakabhasya Part 3

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, Bechardas Doshi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 6

PRÉFÀCE
With great pleasure we place before the scholars the third part of the Viseşāvaśyakabhāşya (Prakrit) along with Koțýäryavādigaņi's commentary (Sanskrit) written with a view to completing the one left incomplete (from gatha No. 2318) by Ac. Jinabhadrasüri (c. 7th cent. V. S.) the author of the Viseșävaśyakabhäşya. In the first two parts the text with the auto-commentary is given. With this third part we complete the entire text with the auto-commentary and the commentary (a supplement to the auto-commentary) by Koțyaryavādigani. These commentaries are published here for the first time.
The Viseşāvasyakabhāşya is a very important Jaina philosophical text. Therein one finds important information relating to the methodology of Jaina commentarial literature. Moreover, Jaina Epistemology is fully discussed in it. Mabävira's discussions with Gañadbaras as well as Nihnavas contain important philosophical elucidations and explanations and are very interesting. Method of dialogue applied to philosophical exposition is always interesting. And it is found here in this work.
I should gratefully thank Pt. Dalsukhbhai Malvania for writing an instructive introduction even at a time when he was engaged in various educational activities in Canada. This edition provides an instance of his diligent scholarship. But for the constant work of Pt. Bechardasji Doshi, the co-editor of this part, it would not have been possible for us to publish it in time; for this I am grateful to him. I thank Shri Jeshingbhai Thakor and Shri Rupendrakumar Pagariya for helping us in the task of preparing indexes. My thanks are also due to Pt. A. P. Shah who helped us in correcting proofs.
I must also gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance given by the Ministry of Education, Government of India (under the scheme of the publication of rare mss. ), for the publication of this important work.
We hope that the scholars of Indian philosophy will find this work interesting and useful.
L. D. Institute of Indology,
Ahmedabad. 81-19-68.
Nagin J. Shah Acting Director: