Dharmamrit Anagar

by Bhartiya Jnanapith

Among ancient writers of Jaina religious treatises the pre-eminent scholar Pandit Ashadhar is revered so much that although a householder, he is called ‘acharyakalpa’ (one who is regarded like a preceptor). He has written so extensively and outstandingly on different subjects pertaining to Jaina religion, philosophy, literature, grammar etc. that he is compared to the great scripture- writer Hemachandra. Of great significance are his commentaries on works written by others as well as the commentaries written by others on his works. Divided into two categories called anagara and sagara, the religious ambrosia of his works seems to be of more practical value in today’s strange and unprecedented atmosphere from the point of view of character-building and psychoanalysis. His immortal work Dharmamrit Anagar is so full of social consciousness and is endowed with such scientific outlook that he himself thought it necessary to write a commentary on it in order to analyze it. Commentaries have been written on it in Sanskrit and Kannada also.

All these commentaries and Dharmamrit have been edited and translated into Hindi by Siddhantacharya Pandit Kailashchandra Shastri who is greatly respected for his versatile scholarship in the fields of Jaina philosophy, doctrine, logic, culture, history etc. This work and its present edition are absolutely essential for studying, teaching and doing research work in Jaina culture, particularly ethics. Translation in simple Hindi has made it useful for general reading public also. This book is available in Hindi Sanskrit translation.