Jain Sahitya-ka Etihas (Review)
Summary
This book review examines Volume IV of Mohanlal Mehta and Hiralal Kapadia’s Hindi work “Jain Sahitya‑ka Brihad Itihas” and briefly notes Volume V. The reviewer explains that Volume IV, subtitled “Karma Siddhant,” analyses two major Digambara texts on the theory of karma—the “Karma Prakrti” and “Kalyanakaraka”—and discusses their commentaries by later acharyas. It contextualises these works within Jain cosmology and notes how they have shaped subsequent metaphysical debates. The review summarises chapters on Jain expositions of yoga and extra‑canonical literature and praises the authors for presenting scattered materials in a systematic way. Volume V surveys Jain technical literature—works on grammar, logic, mathematics, astronomy and medicine—and emphasises that Jain scholars made significant contributions to subjects like metrology, cosmology, architecture and trigonometry. The reviewer commends the series for demonstrating that Jain literature is not limited to religious texts but encompasses a wide range of secular sciences.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
The review concludes that “Jain Sahitya‑ka Brihad Itihas†is a monumental contribution to Indological scholarship. By methodically documenting both canonical and secular works, it reveals the breadth of Jaina intellectual culture and undercuts stereotypes of Jainism as solely ascetic. The reviewer encourages readers to use these volumes as a reference for further research.