Seminar on Ardhamagadhi Jain Agama Literature
Summary
The final article reports on a national seminar devoted to Ardhamāgadhī Jain Āgama literature held at the L.D. Institute of Indology to mark the birth centenary of Āgama Prabhākara Muni Shri Punyavijaya. Written by Kanjibhai Patel, the report outlines the seminar’s objectives, proceedings and key discussions. It notes that the event was inaugurated by Dr. H.M. Joshi, who emphasised the importance of philosophy in human life, and included addresses by academics such as Dr. Ramanlal C. Shah on the significance of knowledge in Jainism. The report details sessions chaired by scholars including Dr. K.R. Chandra and Pandit Laxmanbhai Bhojak, summarising papers presented on topics like the organisation of Jain manuscript repositories, the linguistic features of Viśeṣāvaśyaka Bhāṣya, and the use of Ardhamāgadhī in Jain Āgamas. Participants from universities across India discussed manuscript cataloguing, textual criticism and linguistic analysis, and the discussions that followed each paper generated numerous suggestions for future research. The report mentions subsequent sessions covering the Navakāra Mantra, regional variations in Jain practices and the need for preservation of rare manuscripts. Overall, the seminar fostered collaboration among scholars and highlighted the urgency of preserving and studying Ardhamāgadhī texts.
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Conclusion
Patel’s seminar report demonstrates the vitality of contemporary research on Ardhamāgadhī and Jain Āgama literature. By summarising presentations and discussions, it captures the collective effort to document, analyse and preserve Jain scriptural heritage. The seminar’s success underlines the value of bringing together scholars from diverse institutions to share methodologies and to chart future directions for Indological research.