Mulachara is a significant work having many peculiarities. Firstly, it is the oldest work in which there is an authentic and systematic description of the manners and morals, character development and basic qualities of Digambara Jaina munis. It has been composed some two thousand years ago. The author is Acharya Vattaker, who is also known as Acharya Kundakunda by many scholars, because in ancient commentaries and handwritten manuscripts this is mentioned as the name of its author. The second thing is that after matching it with many copies of handwritten Prakrit manuscripts, it has been edited by the pre-eminent scholar Aryikaratna Jnanamati Mataji, not only the original work but also the Sanskrit commentary written about six hundred years back by Acharya Vasunandi under the name Acharavritti. The third feature of the work is that Siddhantacharya Pandit Kailashchandra Shastri has edited the manuscript painstakingly together with two eminent scholars Pandit Jaganmohan Lal Shastri and Pannalal Sahityacharya. They also presented several suggestions for its improvement which were acceptable to Mataji. Every effort has been made to make the work more flawless and authentic.
Vidyavaridhi Dr. Jyotiprasad Jain, a scholar on the editorial board of the series, has by writing the main editorial of the first volume highlighted the historical perspective of this work. Aryikaratna Jnanamati Mataji has used easily intelligible language so that the significance of the work, which spotlessly mirrors her vast knowledge, goes down to the hearts of the inquisitive readers and they are benefited by the wisdom it contains. In her introduction she has lucidly introduced different topics. It is hoped that the work, published in two parts, will prove very useful to saintly persons, scholars and lovers of self-study.
This book is in Sanskrit with Hindi Translation.
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