Jnanasrimitrani Bandhavali- Buddhist Philosophical Works of Jnanasrimitra (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Government of Bihar established the K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute at Patna in 1951 with the object inter- alia, to promote historical research, archaeological excavations and investigations and publication of works of permanent value to scholars. The Institute along with the five others was planned by this Government as a token of their homage to the tradition of learning and scholarship for which ancient Bihar was noted. Apart from the Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute, five others have been established to give incentive to research and advancement of knowledge-the Nalanda Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Pali and Buddhist Learning at Nalanda, the Mithila Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning at Darbhanga, the Bihar Rashtrabhasha Parishad for advanced Studies and Research in Hindi at Patna, the Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Jainism and Prakrit Learning at Vaishali and the Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Arabic and Persian Learning at Patna.

As a part of this programme of rehabilitating and re- orientating ancient learning and scholarship, the K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute has undertaken the editing and publication of the Tibetan Sanskrit Text Series with the co-operation of scholars in Bihar and outside. Another series of Historical Research works for elucidating the history and culture of Bihar and India has also been started by the Institute, The Government of Bihar hope to continue to sponsor such projects and trust that this humble service to the world of scholarship and learning would bear fruit in the fullness of time.

Twelve tracts of Jnanasrimitra were first published by the Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute, Patna in 1959 under the Title Jnanasrimitrabandhavali, It was well-received by the world of scholars, favourably reviewed in Indian and foreign scholarly journals utilised in scholarly works including doctoral dissertations, Some of the tracts have been translated into modern languages. Some more have been prescribed as text-books for the P. G. Examinations of the different Universities.

The work soon went out of print. But there was a persistent demand for copies. The press copy of the revised text was sent to a press as early as 1976. But circumstances beyond control stood in the way of its printing. The present Director of Public Instruction Bihar, Dr. P. N. Ojha who is also the Director-in-charge of the K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, took up the work in right earnest in 1986 and the present edition is the result of his parental care.

The tracts published here do by no means exhaust the contributions of Jnanasrimitra and we briefly noted it in the Introduction. It is a matter of great satisfaction that Prof. Dr. Michael Hahn, University of Bonn published the V?ttamalastuti of this author in its Tibetan and Mangolian versions. We are awaiting the publication of the Sanskrit version of the work as edited by the same scholar. We could only refer to a tradition disclosing Jnanasrimitra's erudition in the science of prosody. Naturally we feel grateful to our esteemed friend for disclosing this hidden aspect of our author's eminence about which surmises could only be made on the basis of the skillful uses of a good number of mitres in the tracts edited by us.

There are two ancient Buddhist authors named Jnanasri. Jaanasribhadra of Kashmir wrote the Pramagaviniscayatika and also translated several Sanskrit works into Tibetan with the help of Tibetan scholars. He should be distinguished from Jaanasrimitra of Gauda whom we are concerned with here, Jnanasrimitra was associated with the Vikramasila-mahavihara which was established by the famous Buddhist emperor Dharmapala (c. 770-810A.D.) and flourished under the liberal patronage of his successors. In the eleventh century A.D., we find it in the form of an international University attracting scholars from other parts of Asia. All the sastras were taught in it. Buddhism received priority among them. There were six great Erudites there. Four of them were called keepers of the four gates-Dvärapanditas of the seat of learning that was the mahavihara and the two others, still greater, were called the two "Great Pillars" of wisdom;We find Jñanasri- mitra as the second Great Pillar of this University.

It is said that at first Jaanasrimitra was a Saindhava- sarvaka and later on became a Tantrayanist. The Saindhava- sarvakas formed an important element in the mahavihara and once the image of Heruka and some Tantrik works were burnt by them. The names of some of the Saindhavasravakas ended with Srimitra' who had a deadly quarrel with the Tantrayanists of Bengal.

**Contents and Sample Pages**