Prospectus of a New Verse Concordance

Klaus Bruhn and C.B. Tripathi’s prospectus outlines a project to compile a comprehensive concordance of metrical commentaries on Jain canonical texts, known as Niryuktis and Bhāṣyas. These commentaries are mnemonic verses that explain early Śvetāmbara scriptures and are key sources for understanding Jain dogmatics. The authors clarify that a Niryukti is a metrical commentary attributed to Bhadrabahu and is similar to a Bhāṣya but consists of sets of verses attached to prose portions, while Bhāṣya includes both verses and prose. The concordance aims to organise verses by subject, grouping them into categories such as introductions (Nikṣepas), monastic discipline, narrative matter, and dogmatic topics. Bruhn and Tripathi propose using a punch‑card system at the Freie Universität Berlin to index each verse with contextual metadata, including variant readings, canonical references and cross‑links to related texts. They discuss methodological challenges, such as variations in verse counts across manuscripts, layered transmission of texts, textual variants and the relationship between verse and prose sections. The project will also require standardising transliteration and establishing criteria for identifying parallel verses. The prospectus argues that a concordance will enable scholars to trace parallels across commentaries, identify literary stratification, and study the development of doctrinal concepts. It highlights the importance of preserving early Jain literary heritage and emphasises cooperation between Western and Indian scholars. The authors invite participation from researchers willing to share manuscripts and notes, emphasising that the project’s success depends on collaborative data collection and financial support.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.