Manish Modi

About

Manish Modi, 38, is the great-grandson of renowned scholar and foremost Hindi litterateur Pandit Nathuram Premi , founder of the prestigious Hindi Granth Ratnakar Karyalay publication series; publisher of the Manikacandra Jain Granthamala and a leading scholar of classical India.

He runs the business founded by his great-grandfather in 1912.

Manish likes to propagate Indian values and especially Jainism in his lifetime through distributing Jain scriptures and other relevant literature and promoting the study thereof. He has been brought up in a profoundly literary and religious atmosphere and takes a very ethical and non-sectarian approach to Jainism.

Education

• Graduate in Commerce (Sydenham College) and Law (Government Law College) from Mumbai University.

Languages

• Fluent in Hindi, English and Urdu; reads and speaks Gujarati and Marathi.
• A student of Prakrit and Sanskrit; translates from Prakrit / Sanskrit into Hindi / English.

Some translations by Manish

• Samayasāra gāthās 1 - 108 (Prakrit - English)
• Mahāvīrāshtaka Stotra (Sanskrit - English)
• Uvasaggaharam Stotra (Prakrit - English)
• Gommateśa Stuti (Prakrit - English)
• Bhagavatī Ārādhanā gāthās 1 - 48 (Prakrit - English) with Hermann Kuhn
• Rādhā Kṛpā Katāksha (Hindi - English)

Books edited by Manish

• ATTHAPĀHUDA by Ācārya Kundakunda [Prakrit-Hindi]
• SAMĀDHITANTRA by Ācārya Pūjyapāda [Sanskrit-Hindi]
• ISHTOPADEŚA by Ācārya Pūjyapāda [Sanskrit-Hindi]
• PARAMĀTMAPRAKĀŚA by Ācārya Joindu [Apabhramsha-Hindi]
• TATTVĀRTHASUTRA by Ācārya Prabhācandra [Sanskrit-Hindi]
• DHYĀNASTAVA by Ācārya Bhaskaranandi [Sanskrit-Hindi]
• DHYĀNAŚATAKA by an unknown Ācārya [Prakrit-Hindi]
• Jijñāsā - 1, Jijñāsā - 2, Jijñāsā - 3 (English) [by Shri Ramesh Ojha]
• Jijñāsā - 1, Jijñāsā - 2, Jijñāsā - 3 (Hindi) [by Shri Ramesh Ojha]
• "Abhyudaya Se Nihśreyasa" [Hindi - English]

While in College, he edited College magazines in Sydenham College and Government Law College (1986 - 1994)

Film Projects

• Interviewed by Jamie Catto, award winning film director of "One Giant Leap", for his next film " Duality".
• Consulting Jain scholar to "Samyaktva" a film on Jainism produced by Tempest Films.

Published Articles

• "Pandit Nathuram Premi (1881-1960): Jain Scholar and Publisher." International Journal of Jaina Studies: London, 2007
• "An English Adaptation of the Gommateśa Tthudī." Jain Study Circular: New York, 2005
• "An English Adaptation of the Mahāvīrāshtaka Stotra." Jain Study Circular: New York, 2005
• "Samatādhārī Sādhaka." Pushpavārtā: Indore, 2005
• "Redefining Non-Violence in the 21st Century with Special Reference to Jainism." Abhyudaya Se Nihśreyasa: Mumbai, 2004
• "Eleven Pratimās." Jain Study Circular: New York, 2004
• "Self Publishing." Jain Spirit: London, 2002
• "Jainism on the Internet. " Times of India: Mumbai, 2001
• "Twelve Contemplations." Jain Study Circular: New York, 1998

Papers Presented

• "Jain Marg - Jivan Marg". Malegaon, 2008
• "Jainism: A Way of Life" Mumbai: 2007
• "Jain Dharma aur Darshan" Mumbai, 2005
• "A Brief Overview of Ancient and Medieval Jain Literature" Mumbai, 2005
• "Pandit Nathuramji Premi aur unka Rashtriya Avadāna" [Pandit Nathuram Premi Rashtriya Avadāna Sangoshthi] Gwalior, 2004
• "Redefining Non-Violence the 21st Century with Special Reference to Jainism" [International Conference on World Peace] Ahmedabad, 2003
• "The Eight Types of Karmas" [National Seminar on Karma Siddhānta] Mumbai, 2002

Awards

• Gold Medal from Ācārya Vidyānandaji New Delhi, 2001
• SK Muranjan Best Essay Prize for "The History of Company Law" [Government Law College] Mumbai: 1994
• Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Inter-College Scholarship for All-round Excellence [Sydenham College] Mumbai:1987 - 1990 

Posts held

• Hon. Member: Prakrit Bharati Academy, Jaipur. Since 2007
• Convener, National Seminar on the Life and Works of Pandit Gopāladāsa Baraiyā New Delhi: 2005
• Secretary: Śrī Bhāratavarshīya Digambara Jain Śrutasamvardhinī Mahāsabhā. Since 2005
• Faculty Member: K J Somaiya Centre for Studies in Jainism. Since 2005
• Visiting Lecturer: K J Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Pitham. Since 2005
• Member, Reception Committee, International Conference on World Peace, Ahmedabad. 2003 - 04
• Member, Managing Committee, Madhya Pradesh Jain Mitra Mandal. Mumbai, 1989 - 94
• Community Service Director, Rotaract Club of Central Island, Dist. 3140 Mumbai. 1992 - 93

Moderator & Sole Contributor

• [email protected] – reviews the latest publications in Jainism, Sanskrit and Ancient Indian Wisdom. Since 2004
• [email protected] - reviews the latest publications of Hindi and Urdu literature. Since 2004

• [email protected] sends a choice couplet by a renowned Hindi-Urdu poet everyday.
• Since 2005
• [email protected] translates a Sanskrit sutra from Acarya Somadeva Suri's Nitivakyamrtam into English and sends it each day. Since 2007
• Co-Moderator
• [email protected] - the world's largest Internet discussion group on Jainism. Since 2000

Current Activities

Manish has begun a series of weekly lectures on the spiritual works of Ācārya Kundakunda (1st century CE) and Ācārya Pūjyapāda (5th century CE). He lectures in Hindi as well as in English. His audience is made up of students of an Advanced Diploma course in Jainology.

see also:

Hindi Granth Karyalay

Bookstore & Publishers Since 1912
9 Hirabaug C P Tank
Mumbai 400004 INDIA
Phones: + 91 22 2382-6739, 2035-6659
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