Acharya Hasti Mala
Epochal-person Ācāryaśrī Hastī Malajī M.S. has achieved a historical milestone by writing the four detailed volume series of texts called 'Jain Dharma kā Maulika Itihāsa'. The Jain community can never forget his contribution.
We feel honoured and contented in presenting this third volume of 'Jain Dharma kā Maulika Itihāsa' in English as 'Jain Legend' to our distinguished and learned readers and scholars. In this volume history of Jain Legend during the period V.N. 1000 to V.N. 1475 is being published.
The first and second volumes of 'Jain Dharma kā Maulika Itihāsa' were published in 1971AD and 1974 AD respectively. We seek forgiveness from our distinguished readers and scholars to wait for so long for the third volume.
This third volume details the time or origin and growth of the unique tradition of Bhaṭṭārakas (administrator monks) in Digambara sect. Relevant facts of the origin of this unique tradition are presented here as all congregations (Saṃgha), researchers and scholars were unaware of these developments.
Writing this third volume started with lot of dedication. Initially efforts were made to compile relevant material from the libraries in Mathura. Substantial matter was collected from there which was extensively used in compiling this volume.
A number of bhaṇḍāras and libraries in Rajasthan were also accessed to collect relevant material. The most significant literature in this context was found in the Jālora Bhaṇḍāra (library) of history scholar Śrī Kalyaṇa Vijayajī M.S. Here our distinguished scholar and writer, Śrī Rathod himself spent untiring and significant amount of time to research and compile publishable information for this volume.
During this research period at Jālora, we also found a very old manuscript of 'Titthogāli Painnaya'. Rewriting, research and improvisation of the verses in this text of historical and religious importance; translation in Hindi and Sanskrit and giving editorial comments as required was also completed successfully by Śrī Rathod under the able guidance of great scholar Ācāryaśrī Hastī Malajī M.S.
Besides this holy text, we also found information of significant historical importance from other important holy texts, such as, Mahā Niśītha, Sandoha Dohāvalī, Saṃgha Paṭṭaka, Āgama Aṣṭottarī and Saṃgha Paṭṭaka kī Bhūmikā. From these texts we could analyse clearly how schism in Mahāvīra's congregation and its fundamental Śramaṇa tradition took place along with the activities of these newly established sects / sub-sects. From the details provided in these texts, we also came to know how great Śramaṇas opposed powerfully and forcefully these newly created pervert traditions and expressed their sharp criticisms for them and their activities. One of such principal scholar ācārya, namely, Abhaya Deva Sūri, who expressed his views against these traditions effectively in the following verse, cannot be ignored by us in this context.
Devaḍḍhi khamāsamaṇajā paraṃ paraṃ bhāvao viyaṇemi
Siḍhilāyāre ṭhaviyā davvao paramparā bahuhā
i.e. 'I know that till Devardhigaṇi Kṣamāśramaṇa, there was a tradition of spiritual tradition but after him, the lax-monks started schism in Mahāvīra's Dharma congregation creating many pervert traditions.'
These comments and writings of an influential ācārya of that period like Abhaya Deva Sūri expressing his soul touching pains, shed light on the pervert traditions which came into vogue in Mahāvīra's congregation at that time. In this tradition of such influential ācāryas, the name of Lokāśāha is widely respected as the last person who brought back the original tradition of Mahāvīra's congregation in practice.
The influence and the activities of these pervert traditions extended to entire India; but their prime centres of influence were Sauraṣṭra, Kaccha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradeśa, and northern India as our current research was primarily done in these parts of the country.
What was the situation in southern India? On research, we found that southern India continued to be a far more influential centre of Jainism for thousands of years. In 1980 AD, the rainy season halt of Ācāryaśrī was in the city of Madras (now Chennai) in southern India. Taking advantage of his presence and guidance, efforts started to research Jainism in southern India. While conducting research, very important and significant information was obtained from Government Oriental manuscript library of Madras University. From Connemara Government library Egmore, significant epigraphic and antiquities of several thousands of papers related to Jainism were obtained. These findings proved very helpful and significant in our research later on. Photocopies of important medieval period Śaiva texts like 'Śramaṇa saṃhāra caritam' etc were obtained.
In spite of such large volume of information, lack of sufficient data about history of Yāpanīya congregation which went into obvilion a few centuries earlier was felt deeply. Yāpanīya tradition is considered as a very important link between Śvetāmbara and Digambara sects. Therefore in the beginning, it was decided to collect sufficient information about Yāpanīya congregation.
The rainy season halt of Ācāryaśrī was completed in Rāyacūra. We collected significant information (but not to our complete satisfaction) about Yāpanīya congregation from world renowned archaeologists, universities, Jain centres and libraries at Mysore, Kārkala, Śravaṇabelagolā, Mūḍabidrī, Dhārawāda etc. However, these helped us in linking the forgotten and non-traceable links of the history of Yāpanīya tradition. Our history experts felt that the vast literature of Yāpanīya congregation's main centre in Karnataka was totally destroyed during the invasions of foreigners (particularly Muslims) in southern India.
Thus we could start publication work only in July 1984 which was completed by venerable Gurudeva Ācāryaśrī Hastī Mala jī M.S. himself.
The vast content of 'Jain Dharma kā Maulika Itihāsa 'consisting of over 3600 pages scared most of the monks (male and female alike) and scholars even to look at it. Question of deep study of this valuable contribution of Ācāryaśrī was thus unthinkable. Therefore we felt that an abridged version of his vast corpus of knowledge in easy to understand format can enable the contribution of Ācāryaśrī reach common people, scholars and monks and benefit them in their quest of truth. The abridged edition can be read by thousands of Jain and non-Jain readers even during their travel or at their convenience. This work of abridging the third volume (in Hindi) was assigned to Śrī Jayvantbhai P. Shah (B.E. civil and retired superintendent engineer Government of Gujarat) of Surat who completed this work with his untiring efforts. We thank him for this work.
The English translation was done by Dr. Shugan Chand Jain of International School for Jain Studies New Delhi. We are grateful to him for his time and effort.
P.S. Surana
President
S.R. Choudhry
Working President
V.R. Surana
Secretary
Samyakjňāna Pracāraka Maṇḍala
