Dr. Mahavir Raj Gelra
A treatise, 'Jain Darshan -Manan aur Minmansa' written by Mahapragya way back in the eighth decade of Twentieth Century has become a landmark in the study of Jainism. Though it was the first book by this great writer on Philosophy, it was instantly accepted by the Jain fraternity as it embodies the confluence of ideas prevailing in different Jain sects. In the prologue of recently published book - 'Mahapragya Ka Rachna Sansar' - he has narrated the events which led to the writing of the book 'Jain Philosophy - Thought & Analysis'. Mahapragya writes, "During Vikram Samvat 2000-2005, I studied umpteen treatises on philosophy. Once, during the Chhapar Chaturmas I realised that the time is now ripe to pen down my thoughts". This realisation soon became a reality in the form of a book named, 'Fundamentals of Jain Philosophy' which was later rechristened as 'Jain Darshan - Manan aur Minmansa'. Hallmark of this book was a basic tenet of Jains - Anekant - 'all roads lead to a singular destination of truth like infinite radii of a circle has but one centre'.
The book has extensive correlation with modern science and has attracted bountiful readers with scientific temperament. Though the Jain Philosophy emphasises on 'know-thyself, Mahapragya has equally stressed upon knowing the world and universe around us. According to him, the knowledge of environment and our existence alone can lead us to the path of self enlightenment. Why is it necessary? The book "Jain Darshan - Manan aui Minmansa" answers this question adequately. Book deliberates extensively in scientific pastures to bring home the fact that the Knowledge which descends from Lord Mahavira is indeed pure. We shall shortly see so. Select chapters of the book are worth mentioning here.
