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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
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iv
to-do persons seeking merit by propagating the dharmaśāstras, as enjoined in the Buddhist texts (vide, e.g. pp. 13, 53, 132), had the sacred texts copied out for them and deposited in a sacred place like the stūpa. This also accounts for the names of the donor, his relatives and friends appearing in the colophons of some of the mss. The names are reproduced in the present volume as far as they have been deciphered.
Another characteristic feature of the mss., which should be pointed out, is the writing of two or more mss. in one bundle of leaves with running pagination and without any space being left between the end of one text and the beginning of another. The same characteristic is found also in the Tibetan xylographs. In view of the agreement of the mss. and the xylographs in regard to this feature, it may be inferred that the Tibetans very likely adhered to the divisions of volumes as adopted by the Indian writers of the originals.
In conclusion, I must express my deep gratitude to His Highness the Maharaja of Kashmir for entrusting to me the responsibility of editing the mss. and sanctioning the whole cost of publication, but as mere expression of thankfulness to His Highness for his liberality in the cause of the propagation of Buddhist culture will be too inadequate, I take the liberty of dedicating to him this volume.
NALINAKSHA DUTT
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