Book Review – Acarangasutram & Sutrakrtangasatram
Summary
This review discusses the first volume of Lala Sunderlal’s Jain Agamgrantha‑mala, an ambitious project to publish authoritative editions of early Jaina scriptures with commentaries. The volume contains the Ācārāṅga‑sūtra and the Sūtrakṛtāṅga‑sūtra, two of the oldest texts in the Śvetāmbara canon. The reviewer explains that the project was conceived after the 2500th nirvāṇa anniversary of Mahāvīra in 1975, when uncritical editions of Jain agamas flooded the market. Lala Sunderlal, who had long cherished an interest in Indology and Jainology, sought to produce a competent edition free from sectarian bias, accompanied by the ancient nir‑yukti and tika commentaries. He engaged scholars such as Ācārya Sagara‑nanda Sūri, Muni Jambu‑vijaya and Muni Dharma Chandra Vijaya to edit the texts. The reviewer praises the publishers Motilal Banarsidass and the L.D. Institute of Indology for supporting this scholarly undertaking. The volume under review includes the Āyāro and Sūyagada (Ācārāṅga and Sūtrakṛtāṅga) texts with appendices and indices, and it is presented in royal octavo format with 400 pages. The review details the rigorous editing process, noting that the texts were compared across palm‑leaf manuscripts and earlier printed editions to establish an accurate recension. The publication also reproduces the ṭīkā of Ācārya Silanka and the nir‑yukti of Ācārya Bhadrabāhu, offering readers both the canonical sutras and traditional exegesis. The reviewer emphasises that the project aims to publish nine more volumes covering the remaining agamas and expresses hope that the series will become a monumental contribution to Jain studies. The review concludes that the volume is a labour of devotion and scholarship, making reliable editions of foundational Jain texts accessible to scholars and practitioners.
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Conclusion
By presenting critically edited versions of the Ācārāṅga and Sūtrakṛtāṅga sūtras alongside classical commentaries, the first volume of Lala Sunderlal’s Agamgrantha‑mala fulfills a long‑felt need for authoritative Jain scriptures. The reviewer commends the project’s scholarly rigour and anticipates that subsequent volumes will further enrich Jaina textual studies.