Descriptive Catalogue Of Manuscripts Vol 19 Part 01

SR No.: 018125
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hiralal Rasikdas Kapadia
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 402
Language: English
Classification: Catalogue & Catalogue
File Size: 23 MB

Page 17

Preface
The Jaina works can be divided into two classes : (i) canonical and (ii) non-canonical. All the canonical works including the relative ritualistic ones, have been treated in Vol. XVII in Parts I to 4 and their ten appendices separately in Part V. With Vol. XVIII begin works of the non-canonical literature. Bifurcation on sectarian grounds also commences from this Volume, for several orthodox Digambaras have rejected the canonical treatises of the Śvetāmbaras. This fact gives us a clue to the oldest stratum of the extant Jaina literature in Addhamāgahi ( Sk. Ardhamāgadhi ).
The Daršanika literature forms the subject matter of Vol. XVIII. At one stage it was considered desirable to issue this in four parts as under:
Part I should start with all the works on logic of both the schools of the Jainas and should be followed by some philosophical works of the Svetambaras.
Part II should deal with the remaining works of the Svetāmbaras.
Part III should be solely devoted to the works of the Digambaras.
Part IV should comprise the ten appendices.
When on this basis Part I was completely printed in 1952, it was realized that it could include only a few Svetāmbara works on philosophy. So the original plan has been now modified, and the remaining Svetāmbara works are to be equally divided into two sections, each to be issued as a separate part. Thus Parts III and IV have been renumbered as Parts IV and V.
Formerly it was thought desirable that the printing of the volume originally numbered as XIX should be taken up after Vol. XVIII was entirely published. But this idea was dropped on the following grounds :
(1) Several composite Mss. partly dealt with in Vol. XVII have their first works included in Vol. XIX.
(2) A number of works included in Part I of Vol. XIX were dealt with as far back as 1930-31. To wait till the completion of Vol. XVIII would mean an additional delay of perhaps a decade or so.