Gyanbhandaroni Samruddhi - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Gyanbhandaroni Samruddhi" (The Richness of Knowledge Repositories), presented in English:

This text is a speech delivered by Muni Shri Punyavijayji at the 20th Gujarati Sahitya Parishad Sammelan in Ahmedabad in October 1959, where he presided over the History and Archaeology section.

Core Theme: The Immense and Undervalued Wealth of Jain Knowledge Repositories

Muni Punyavijayji's central argument is the vastness and richness of Jain knowledge repositories across India, particularly in Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch. He emphasizes that these repositories are not just a treasure trove for Jainism but for Indian and global scholarship as a whole.

Key Points and Arguments:

Personal Dedication and Focus:
- The speaker, a Jain monk, acknowledges the tradition of reviewing recent publications but chooses to focus on his area of expertise: literary research and the study of knowledge repositories.
- He has been engaged in this work for seventeen years under the guidance of his gurus, inheriting their broad perspective.
- While his primary focus is Jain literature, he stresses that he never neglects non-Jain works found within these repositories.
Scope and Inclusivity of Jain Repositories:
- He states that most of the repositories he has visited are Śvetāmbara Murtipujaka Jain repositories.
- However, he clarifies that these repositories are not exclusive. Jain acharyas and monks, in their efforts to collect and preserve knowledge, gathered Jain and non-Jain works from all languages and subjects.
- This inclusivity has made Jain repositories centers for Indian and foreign scholars.
The Magnitude of the Collection:
- He highlights well-known ancient collections like those in Patan, Khambhat, and Jaisalmer.
- Beyond these, he asserts that numerous other Jain repositories exist in towns and villages across Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kutch, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and South India.
- He estimates the total number of manuscripts in Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch alone to be between five to seven lakh (500,000 to 700,000), possibly more. This number doesn't even include collections in public institutions.
The Need for Systematic Cataloging and Research:
- Despite the immense wealth, he laments that these repositories have not been properly cataloged or surveyed.
- He acknowledges the difficulty and expense of this task but deems it essential and fascinating for the present era.
- He contrasts the slow pace of current cataloging with the efficient work of the late Shri C.D. Dalal, who completed reports on the Patan and Jaisalmer repositories in a few months. He calls for urgency and dedication from the Gujarati community.
Enriching Gujarati Literature and Language:
- He proposes that analyzing the prefaces (prashasti) and colophons (pūpīkā) of these manuscripts can significantly enrich Gujarati literature.
- He draws a parallel with the growth of Hindi literature, emphasizing the need for Gujarati to actively study and assimilate new subjects to remain vibrant.
- He warns against the decline of languages that fail to adapt, citing the example of the Rajasthani language.
Linguistic and Lexicographical Contributions:
- He highlights the abundant material within Jain repositories for enriching dictionaries of ancient languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha.
- He recommends works like "Vinnā" published by the Prakrit Text Society.
- He points out the presence of hundreds of native (desi) words in Jain texts that were either not accepted by lexicographers or were beyond their scope, offering examples like "ṭaṭṭi ni hājata" (need for toilet), "suvaṇṇi" (golden coat), etc. These words have historical and cultural significance.
- He mentions Apabhramsha, the mother of Gujarati, and its rich source material in Jain repositories, citing works by Acharya Haribhadrasuri, Sadharan Kavi, and others. He also notes the presence of Digambara Apabhramsha works.
Content Beyond Religious Texts:
- He details the diverse subjects covered: Jain Agamas, Karmasāhitya, Āupadeśika and Kathāgranthas (narrative texts), grammars (Kātantra, Siddh-Hema-Sarasvata), epic poems, texts on jewel examination, medicine, astrology, mathematics, and more.
- He specifically mentions the valuable information found in the Hūna granth regarding regional history, culture, coins, settlements, religious practices, and historical figures.
- He discusses the Arśavaigna granth for its detailed descriptions of human anatomy and actions, relevant to palmistry and physiognomy.
- He points to the Vajrayāna granth (likely referring to Vimalasūri's Paumacariya or similar texts) for its mention of economic treatises in Prakrit and descriptions of travel routes, connecting them to the Sūtra-kṛtāṅga Sūtra.
Historical and Cultural Significance:
- He emphasizes the historical material embedded in the colophons and prefaces of manuscripts, often overlooked by scholars who rely solely on mainstream historical texts. These often contain details about kings, ministers, treasuries, military equipment, merchants, families, and castes.
- He cites examples of colophons that shed light on historical events like the destruction of Pali in Marwar (V.S. 1207) or provide geographical information like the identification of "Ladadesha" between the Mahi river and Daman.
- He stresses that excluding Jain sources would make reconstructing the history of Gujarat nearly impossible.
- He highlights the importance of inscriptions, copper plates, and coins as supplementary historical sources.
Linguistic and Scriptual Development:
- He points out the value of the repositories for studying the evolution of scripts, from ancient Brahmi to modern Devanagari and Gujarati.
- He suggests creating a script album with chronological photographic examples of manuscripts from different regions to aid in the study of script development.
Call to Action and Future Prospects:
- He urges scholars to study Jain literature with the same rigor as Vedic and Buddhist literature to enrich the understanding of Indian culture.
- He mentions the work done by institutions like the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidyamandir in Ahmedabad, which is actively collecting and cataloging manuscripts.
- He expresses hope that the collection of unknown or rare works will be published.
- He concludes by reiterating the importance of such institutions and the need for coordinated efforts to advance the study of Gujarat's cultural history, thanking the audience for the honor.

In essence, Muni Punyavijayji's speech is a passionate plea for the recognition, preservation, and systematic study of the vast literary heritage contained within Jain knowledge repositories, highlighting their immense value not only to Jainism but to the broader fields of history, archaeology, linguistics, and Indian culture.