Book Review
Summary
Satya Ranjan Banerjee reviews four recent publications that collect Jain stories: Phyllis Granoff’s “The Clever Adulteress and Other Stories: A Treasury of Jain Literature”; V.M. Kulkarni’s “A Treasury of Jain Tales”; Muni Shree Mrigendra Muni Maharaj’s “Stories from Jainism”; and Satya Prakash Jain’s “Hindi‑Jaina Katha‑Sahitya”. He situates these works within the broader context of Jain narrative literature. Jains have produced vast collections of stories—epics, poems, drama and folk tales—that serve both entertainment and religious instruction. The reviewer quotes Winternitz, who observed that Jain narratives span every province of India, with monks and lay authors composing an enormous volume of stories that surpass those of many other Indian traditions. These tales are not merely fairy tales; they are sermons (dharmakatha) and storehouses of popular lore. Banerjee notes that because the stories often use colloquial language and depict everyday life, they provide valuable insight into the social history of India. He laments that Orientalist scholars began serious study of Jain narratives relatively late: Hermann Jacobi was among the first to collect and translate Maharastri tales in the late nineteenth century, while other European scholars such as Bü̈hler and Hertel also highlighted their literary richness. The reviewed books continue this tradition by translating and compiling stories for modern readers. Granoff’s collection, for example, offers fifteen stories drawn from Sanskrit, Prakrit and Gujarati sources and accompanies them with scholarly introductions and notes. Kulkarni’s anthology runs to 367 pages and is part of the Shree Shwetambar Murtipujak Jain Boarding Series, aimed at students; the book seeks to appeal to lay readers as well as scholars. Mrigendra Muni’s book, though written by a monk, uses simple Hindi to retell stories from Jain scriptures and includes devotional hymns (stavans). Satya Prakash Jain’s Hindi study analyses the development of Jaina narrative literature, classifying stories by theme and period and offering insights into their influence on vernacular literature. Banerjee praises these editors for making Jaina narrative literature accessible and hopes that more translations will follow. He asserts that such collections can serve both as moral guides and as windows into historical life, reflecting the ethical ideals, humour and social concerns of Jain communities across India. Each book demonstrates the narrative richness of Jainism: stories feature kings, merchants, ascetics, clever women and animals, weaving complex plots that illustrate Jain principles like karma and non‑violence while retaining popular appeal. By bringing together texts from multiple languages and eras, the four volumes showcase the diversity and adaptability of Jain storytelling.
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Conclusion
Banerjee’s review emphasises that Jain narrative literature is both extensive and underappreciated. By highlighting recent anthologies and scholarly studies, he underscores the importance of these stories as moral guides and windows into historical life. The review suggests that continued translation and analysis will enrich understanding of Jainism’s cultural heritage and invite wider appreciation of its literary achievements.