FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
Dear Reader,
Jai Jinendra!
The Jains relied on the oral teachings of Mahavira (called Shrut Parampara – the tradition of listening) for centuries before the religious teachers realized the necessity of writing down the scriptures. After 683 years of liberation of Mahavira, Acharya Dharsena called upon two monks to Chandragiri caves in Girnar, taught them a part of the scriptures, and asked them to write it down, which took the shape of Shatkhandagam – the first ever written Jain scripture of the Digambar tradition. As the invention of pen and paper came very late in civilization, the two monks – Bhutbali and Pushpadanta – painstakingly wrote on the palm leaves with thorn nibs. The completion of the writing is recorded to Jyeshtha Shukla Panchami which fell on June 11, 2024.
Prof. Nalini Balbir in her paper Is a Manuscript an Object or a Living Being? mentions the importance of the scriptures to the Jain community who do not just read them but also keep them in their homes and temples with thorough respect avoiding any kind of profanation. Hence, the day is celebrated as Shrut Panchami and the Jains worship the manuscripts on this day.
Since the scriptures were written in Prakrit, the Prakrit scholars decided to commemorate this day as ‘Prakrit Day’ at the National Shaurseni Prakrit Conference in October 1994 in Delhi. It shows the profound impact of Prakrit – the ancient language of Jain canons – in the Jain scholarly community.
The International School for Jain Studies ‘ISJS’ has called for applications for its fifth 9-month-long Bhagwan Mahavira Prakrit Fellowship program to learn Prakrit grammar and strives to keep the essence of the scriptures alive. The ISJS Conclave last month also demonstrated the huge success of the intensive Prakrit course.
There’s more! The 19th ISJS Summer School is going to begin on June 17 and for the next five weeks, the ISJS team will be expeditious and filled with enthusiasm in imparting the knowledge of the Jain scriptures.
Stay tuned for the updates.
Jai Jinendra!
The Jains relied on the oral teachings of Mahavira (called Shrut Parampara – the tradition of listening) for centuries before the religious teachers realized the necessity of writing down the scriptures. After 683 years of liberation of Mahavira, Acharya Dharsena called upon two monks to Chandragiri caves in Girnar, taught them a part of the scriptures, and asked them to write it down, which took the shape of Shatkhandagam – the first ever written Jain scripture of the Digambar tradition. As the invention of pen and paper came very late in civilization, the two monks – Bhutbali and Pushpadanta – painstakingly wrote on the palm leaves with thorn nibs. The completion of the writing is recorded to Jyeshtha Shukla Panchami which fell on June 11, 2024.
Prof. Nalini Balbir in her paper Is a Manuscript an Object or a Living Being? mentions the importance of the scriptures to the Jain community who do not just read them but also keep them in their homes and temples with thorough respect avoiding any kind of profanation. Hence, the day is celebrated as Shrut Panchami and the Jains worship the manuscripts on this day.
Since the scriptures were written in Prakrit, the Prakrit scholars decided to commemorate this day as ‘Prakrit Day’ at the National Shaurseni Prakrit Conference in October 1994 in Delhi. It shows the profound impact of Prakrit – the ancient language of Jain canons – in the Jain scholarly community.
The International School for Jain Studies ‘ISJS’ has called for applications for its fifth 9-month-long Bhagwan Mahavira Prakrit Fellowship program to learn Prakrit grammar and strives to keep the essence of the scriptures alive. The ISJS Conclave last month also demonstrated the huge success of the intensive Prakrit course.
There’s more! The 19th ISJS Summer School is going to begin on June 17 and for the next five weeks, the ISJS team will be expeditious and filled with enthusiasm in imparting the knowledge of the Jain scriptures.
Stay tuned for the updates.
