Books Received
Summary
The “Books Received” section of the July 1984 issue lists newly published works on Jainism, many released by institutions in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Calcutta and Ladnun. It begins with an edited edition of Surācārya’s Dāṇādiprakaraṇa (L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad, 1983), a text dealing with gifts such as jñānadāna (gift of knowledge), abhayadāna (gift of fearlessness) and dhanadāna (gift of wealth). K.R. Chandra’s Prākṛt Bhāśāon kā Tulanātmaka Vyākaraṇ evam Unme Prāk‑Saṃskṛt Tattva compares different Prakrit grammars. Edited by Ratilal V. Dave, Narasimha Mahetānā Pada presents unpublished verses of the Gujarati devotional poet Narasimha Mehta. S.M. Desai’s Haribhadra’s Yoga Works and Psychosynthesis studies the Jain scholar Haribhadra’s synthesis of Jainism and Yoga, while Bechardas Doshi’s Maṇidhārī Jincandra Sūri Kāvyakusumāñjali prints Sanskrit and Prakrit verses praising the monk Maṇidhārī Jincandra Sūri. Udaychandra Jain’s Hem‑Prākṛt‑Vyākaraṇ‑Śikṣāka, Part 1 offers an accessible Prakrit grammar. Ganesh Lalwani’s Candanmūrti and Jain Dharm va Darśan (both Hindi translations by Rajkumari Begani) provide narratives about Jātismars and a treatise on Jain metaphysics. The list continues with Lalwani’s Nīlāñjanā, another collection of Jain stories in Hindi, and Bhāṇvarlāl Nahata’s Jaisalmerkā Kalāpūrṇa Jain Mandir, which surveys the Jain temples of Jaisalmer. Rupendra Kumar Pagariya’s edited Vardhamāna Sūri’s Manoramākāhā compiles around eighty folk‑tales with an introduction. Two lexicons compiled by Sadhvi Siddhaprajna and Nirvanasri (Nirukta Koṣa) and Samani Kusumaprajna (Ekārthaka Koṣa) collect rare Sanskrit and Prakrit terms from the Jain Āgamas. Sreeramula Rajeswara Sarma’s Thakkara Pheru’s Rayana Parīkṣā edits a mediaeval Prakrit treatise on gemmology. Kailash Chandra Siddhāntācārya’s Jain Siddhant explains Jain metaphysics through four anuyogas (fields of scriptural exegesis) and doctrines such as syādvāda and karmic theory. Finally, Yuvācārya Mahāprajña’s edited Samavāo presents the Samavāyāṅga Sūtra with Sanskrit and Hindi translations. The list reflects the breadth of contemporary scholarship, ranging from grammatical guides and philosophical treatises to devotional poetry, dictionaries and temple histories.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
The “Books Received” column provides a snapshot of the vigorous scholarly and literary activity surrounding Jain studies in the early 1980s. It spans genres from grammar and lexicography to religious history, philosophy and folklore. Works appear in multiple languages—Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit and Prakrit—and come from universities and publishing houses across India. By announcing texts on topics as varied as gift‑giving ethics, yogic synthesis, metaphysical doctrine, gemmology and temple architecture, the section underscores the diversity and ongoing growth of Jain scholarship. Readers are thus encouraged to explore new resources and deepen their engagement with Jain literature and culture.