Rajasthan Ki Pura Sampada Ke Khajane Prachin Jain Pandulipiya

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Rajasthan ki Pura Sampada ke Khajane Prachin Jain Pandulipiya" (Treasures of Rajasthan's Ancient Heritage: Ancient Jain Manuscripts) by Vijayashankar Shrivastava:

This text highlights the immense and often overlooked treasure of ancient Jain manuscripts found in Rajasthan, emphasizing their significance not only for Jain heritage but also for Indian history, literature, and art.

The author begins by lamenting the current state of these valuable manuscripts, many of which are succumbing to decay (like termite damage), being destroyed for their ancient paintings, or are inaccessible to scholars due to narrow-mindedness. He calls for their preservation and research to reconnect lost links in literature, history, and culture.

The text then delves into the reasons behind the flourishing tradition of manuscript creation in Rajasthan. It explains that in Indian tradition, self-study and learning are forms of spiritual discipline, with knowledge seen as a path to liberation. This led to the creation of vast amounts of literature by religious scholars. The practice of scholars staying in one place during the rainy season (Chaturmas) was conducive to such work. Before the advent of paper, manuscripts were written on materials like palm leaves and birch bark. Devotees also commissioned copies of texts to be dedicated to ascetics as an act of merit. Wealthy individuals commissioned illustrated manuscripts. The arrival of paper in the 14th century accelerated the process of manuscript creation and copying. The Jain community is identified as a leader in this endeavor.

Rajasthan and Gujarat are noted for housing a significant number of these manuscripts. The Jain community, in an atmosphere of religious tolerance, not only preserved their own scriptures but also collected and studied texts from other religions. Creating new works, copying ancient texts, and gifting books to ascetics were considered important religious acts. The text provides historical examples, such as the Chalukya king Siddharaj Jaysingh commissioning a million and a quarter copies of Siddha-vyakaran and gifting them to scholars and knowledge repositories, and Kumarapal establishing 21 scriptural repositories, each gifted copies of the illustrated Kalpasutra. An inscription from 1891 AD in the Jain temple at Amarsagar mentions the patronage of book repositories as a religious act during a major pilgrimage by the Bapna family.

Rajasthan is home to countless known and unknown manuscript repositories, containing works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, Hindi, Rajasthani, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Persian, and Arabic, written on both palm leaves and paper. The diversity of subjects is also highlighted, encompassing Vedas, Upanishads, history, Puranas, poetry, grammar, religion, astrology, music, medicine, and also literary and historical-semi-historical subjects like inscriptions, genealogies, and chronicles. Many of these manuscripts are illustrated, preserving the unique art of Apabhramsa, Mughal, and Rajasthani painting styles, which are crucial for studying the evolution of art history. The protective covers, bindings, and even illustrated invitation letters sent to ascetics for Chaturmas are also considered interesting artifacts.

The Shri Jinvijayasuri Gyan Bhandar in the Sambhavnath Jain temple within Jaisalmer fort is described as a significant and vast collection of manuscripts not only for Rajasthan but for all of India. Founded in the late 15th century by Acharya Jinvijayasuri, its inspiration led to the establishment of similar Jain manuscript repositories in Jaisalmer, Javal, Devagiri, Ahirpur (Ahor), Patan (Gujarat), Upadarga, Ashapalli, and Khambhat. The collection includes 403 palm-leaf manuscripts, comprising approximately 750 individual works. The oldest among them is the Vishēṣāvaśyakabhāṣya by Jinbhadra Gani Kṣamāśramaṇa, dating back to the first half of the 10th century. Other notable palm-leaf manuscripts include the Ogha-niryukti-vr̥tti (1117 AD) and Daśavaikālikasūtra-vr̥tti (also from 1117 AD), the latter two containing important illustrations for studying the development of painting. These were brought from Gujarat to Jaisalmer. The repository also houses 1704 paper manuscripts, with the oldest being the Karma-granth-ṭippaṇa written in 1246 AD. A 14th-century commentary on Kautilya's Arthashastra is also present here, which is otherwise unavailable. Interestingly, the collection also contains several hitherto unavailable palm-leaf manuscripts related to Buddhism, including Nyāyapravēśa by Dignaga (1146 AD) and a commentary on Tattvasaṅgraha by Kamalasila of Nalanda University (12th century). Ancient copies of various literary works are also available, including Tilakamañjarī by Dhanapala (1073 AD), Śr̥ṅgāramañjarī by Bhoja (11th century), and Kuvalayamālakathā by Udyotana Suri (1082 AD).

The Jaisalmer repository also boasts important illustrated paper manuscripts from the 15th century, such as the Pāṇḍavacharita Mahākāvya (1429 AD), an illustrated Kalpasūtra with 273 paintings (1562 AD), and the Kālikācārya Kathā. It also houses illustrated wooden panels and painted caskets for manuscript preservation, depicting scenes from the lives of Tirthankaras and animals, including a significant depiction of a giraffe. A painted leather box from 1673 AD is also notable.

The text mentions that most significant Jain temples and monastic establishments in Rajasthan have their own manuscript repositories. Jaipur, Nagaur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are highlighted for their rich collections. Rajput rulers, landlords, and wealthy merchants of Rajasthan also contributed significantly to the collection and preservation of manuscripts. The Anup Sanskrit Library in Bikaner, Pustak Prakash in Jodhpur, and Saraswati Bhandar in Udaipur are presented as living monuments to the royal patronage of literature. Many valuable and rare manuscripts from these collections have been published, with their catalogs also made available. These published works often include illustrated manuscripts. The Saraswati Bhandar in Udaipur holds manuscripts in the Mewar style (e.g., Āparāmaẏaṇa, Gītagovinda, Bhāgavata), Pustak Prakash in Jodhpur has works in the Marwar style (e.g., Dhola-Maru, Nāthacharita, Durga-charita, Shiva Purana, Shiva Rahasya, Ramayana), and the Anup Sanskrit Library in Bikaner features works in the Bikaner style (e.g., Meghaduta, Rasikapriya, Bhagavat Purana). The Anup Sanskrit Library alone holds 12,000 manuscripts and about 500 musical instruments.

The personal collection of Shri Agarchandra Nahata in Bikaner, known as the Abhay Jain Library, is described as having historical significance, containing manuscripts by Jain scholars and ascetics, royal letters, decrees, and a rare collection of almanacs from 1701 AD to the present. It houses around 2,000 manuscripts, with some historically important ones like Pingalasiraomaṇi, Kyām Khāṃ Raso, and Jasvant Udyot having been published.

After the formation of Rajasthan, significant steps were taken at the state level for the collection, preservation, classification, research, and publication of manuscripts. The Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute in Jodhpur is a prime example of this, with its esteemed director, the renowned antiquarian Muni Jinavijay, who brought it significant recognition. The institute has branches in Udaipur, Bikaner, Chittor, Jaipur, Alwar, Kota, and Tonk. It possesses a collection of over a lakh manuscripts, including about a thousand ancient palm-leaf manuscripts and photocopies of rare texts, along with copies of important manuscripts from other repositories. The institute also provides microfilms, photocopies, and copies to researchers. For manuscript safety, air-conditioned facilities have been installed, and plans for air-conditioned vaults are underway. As part of the 'Puraatana Granthamala' series, 124 important works have been published. Plans to integrate the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu manuscripts from the institute's Tonk branch will be beneficial for scholars. The author concludes by asserting that these scattered treasures of knowledge in Rajasthan will undoubtedly help reveal our culture and history.