GENERAL EDITORIAL
The Bhartiya Jnanpith is a preeminent academic institute of our
country.It has achieved, during the last of century, quite Worthy results in the form of lerned publications in Sanskrit,pali,prakrit Apabhramsa, tamil and kannada. Most of them are equipped with critical Indtroductions embodyindg original researches which shed abundant light on many a neglected branch of Indian literature. The number of these publications is nearly one hundred and fifty, included in the Murtidevi and Manikandra Granthamalas. Most of these works are brought to light for the first time, and thus some of them are rescued from oblivion. It has also published in its Lokodayan and Rastrabharati Granthmalas nearly 350 titiles in Hindi comprising almost all the literary forms like novels, poems, short stories, essays,travels, biographies, reasearches and critical estimates etc. Through these literary pursuits the Janapith aims at giving impetues to creative writings in modern Indian languages. By their quality as well as by their appearance the Jnanpith publications have own approbation and apprecition everywhere.
The Jnapith gives, every year, an award to the outstanding litrary work (now the whole contribution) in the various recognised languages of India which is chosen to be the best litrary writing of the specific period, and its author gets a prize of one lakh (now five lakh - Publisher) of ruppes at a festive function.
The Jnanpith, which is so particular about the publication of ancient Indian literature and also in encouraging the progress of modern Indian literature, cannot but take in to account the fourthcoming 2500th Nirvana Mahotsave of Bhagavan Mahavira, one of the greatest sons of India and one of the standing humanists the civilised world has ever produced. Naturally the
Jnanpith, among its various plans to celebrate the occasion, has under taken the publication of important Jaina works; and this Pancastikaya,edited and translated by the late Prof. A. Chakravarti is one of them.
The General Editors record their sense of gratitude to Shirman Shau
Shanti Prasada and his Enlightened wife Smt. Rama Jain for the patronge they have extended to the publication of these works which belonge to the neglected branches of Indological learning. It is through their patronage That many unpublished works have come to light, a number of important texts, accompanied by Learned Introductions containing valible research, have been put in the hands of scholars.
Thanks are due to Shri L.C. Jain who is enthusiastically implementing
the publication programme of the Jnanpith.
A.N.Upadhye
Vira Nirvana Day
Kailash Chandra Shastri
13th Nov.1974