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INTRODUCTION.
75
IX. THE PRESENT WORK. The present work is divided in 4 Chapters, each dealing with certain special events and hence all are not in sequence of time-one after the other. It is edited from a single MS. made available to me by my friend Mr. Agarchand Náhatā of Bikaner from Jayacandra Yati's collection at Bikāner. The said ms contains 33 folios of 13 lines on its each side and measures 104 inches in length and 41 inches in width. It is written on somewhat rough and thick country paper. It was copied by Guņacandra, a pupil of Devacandra and Vivekacandra—the latter two, pupils of Bhānucandra our hero and co-pupils of the author. The present text of this work seems to be somewhat incomplete as evidently appears from the absence of three following verses of Bhānucandragani-Carita quoted by the author in his later work entitled Bhaktāmara-stotraVrtti while commenting on the 39th verse of the said stotra :
वतः शिरांसि शूराणां पतितानि महीतले । जयश्रियो रक्तपङ्के पादन्यासोपलभ्रमम् ॥१॥ असुभिरपि यियासुभिः प्रविश्य, प्रतिभटमूर्धनि कोऽपि दत्तपादः । फलमिह मनुजन्मनोपलब्धं यशसि रतिमहतां न देहपिण्डे ॥२॥ महति समरसंकटे भटोऽन्यः प्रतिभटनिर्दलनात्समाप्तशस्त्रः । अगणितमरणः प्रविश्य वेगादरिकरतः करवालमाचकर्ष ॥३॥
-इत्यस्मन्निर्मितमहोपाध्यायश्रीभानुचंद्रगणिचरित्रात् ।
As no other manuscript of the work could be obtained, some errors are likely to have escaped notice in spite of utmost care taken and it is hoped the readers will excuse the same.
This is a historical composition. The authenticity of the incidents mentioned therein is proved as they are corroborated by independent and comtemporaneous authorities consulted and quoted by me. My thanks are due to my friends Messrs Acārya and Mohanlal Mehtă Advocates as well as to Mr. Mohanlal Jhavery Solicitor for going through portions of my manuscript, and specially to Mr. Ratilal J. Desāi M. A. for revising the same and Khānbāhadur Prof. M. S. Commissariat M. A. I. E. S. (Retired) for revising the Appendix II.
It is difficult for a student to obtain rare old books required for preparing a composition particularly on such an old historical subject. For enabling me to avail of the books necessary for the preparation of this introduction I am indebted to Seth Hiralal Amratlal B. A., Pandit Lālachandra B. Gāndhi of Baroda Oriental Institute, D. B. Krişnālal M. Jhaveri, Mr. 'Kokil' and Bombay University Library,
Lastly, Sri Jina vijayaji, the learned and able General Editor, of the excellent Sing.ri Jaina Series deserves my gratitude for his prompting me to undertake the work of editing this work with an elaborate English introduction and Bābu Bahādur Singhji Singbi, is all the more to be thanked as he, a great lover of literature and culture, has utilised his wealth towards founding the present unique Series, in order to bring out many precious gems of Jaina literature.
Mohanlal D. Desāi.
Bombay, 1-12–1940.
