Bhandarkar Report 1904
BHANDAKAR REPORT on the search of Prākṛit and Saṃskṛit manuscripts 1904 [27 of 69]
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27. I was told of a valuable Jaina collection in the old town of Gwalior. But the Jati who had it in his charge had locked it up and was living far away. Here I came to know of a strong prejudice which too many Jainas still have to exposing their treasures, though the Jaina Sabhas and Congresses are at the same time working to make their sacred treasures public. Where there is such a prejudice, to overcome it cannot be the work of a day. The persons in charge must be patiently coaxed and humoured day after day before there can be any chance of their yielding. Por such a course, however, a flying visit affords no scope. The ground adduced for the prejudice is, that if the scriptures were published there would be no saying to what unhallowed uses the followers of false religions would put them. The Jainas further aver, and make much of it, that they never spread their books on the ground but always on desks (chowkis).
[continuation … → … https://www.om-arham.org/blog/view/9549/bhandarkar-report-1904]
