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W. Schubring
To contribute to the attainment of this noble goal I wish to appeal to my Jain friends. First of all, it is necessary to have at hand really old and good manuscripts of Agamas, Niryuktis, Bhashyas and Churnis as are preserved in many a palm-leaf bhandar. The owners of them, as far as they think it good as yet to hide their treasures from publicity, might be convinced that they cannot do a better service to Mahavira's religion than by helping to make it worldwidely known and that they will suffer no material loss whatever by allowing to catalogue and to photograph those manuscripts. I cannot undertake here to describe in detail the preparatory stages of the grand work and its definitive start as they present themselves before my mind. Be it enough to say that commou work is indispensable. Muni Maharaj Atmaramji has given one splendid instance in most willingly joining the ideas of a Western scholar. I do not hesitate to say that his memory cannot better be celebrated than by following his enlightened example and thus inaugurating an epoch of true Western and Indian collaboration in the Jain field.
Shatabdi Granth ]
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