Jaina Philosophy and Religion: English translation of Jaina Darsana by Munisri Nyayavijayaji

Muni Nyayavijayaji (A.D. 1890-1970), an ideal Jaina monk, was an embodiment of learning and love. His forte was his spiritual and love. His forte was his spiritual and philosophical thinking, and his contribution in the field is both substantial and distinctive. He wrote nearly thirty works in Sanskrit, the more noteworthy among them being Nyayakusumanjali, Adhyatmatattvaloka and Kalyanabharati. Deeply impressed by his erudition, non-sectarian spirit and poetic genius, pandits of Ujjain honoured him, praised his literary excellence and described him as an incarnation of Asvaghosa and Kalidasa.

The present work is the English translation of his original Gujarati work ‘Jaina Darsana’ which has run into twelve editions. No one has ever explained the Jaina concepts of nine ‘reals’, six substances, causation, spiritual attitude, spiritualness, non-violence, austerity, God, Karma, non-absolutism, relativity of commandments, etc. as interestingly and lucidly as Nyayavijayaji has done. The work reveals his stupendous scholarship, his positive approach, his non-sectarian outlook, his wisdom and competence in attempting synthesis of conflicting views, his mastery of Indian philosophical and religious thought, his insight into the heart of religion, freshness of his interpretation of old texts, his sensitivity to all aspects of a problem, and his spiritual craving. It attempts to arouse sympathetic responses to the ethical and spiritual aspirations of man. It deals with all the main topics of Jaina metaphysics, ethics, epistemology and logic. It covers a wide variety of problems. It is a fascinating and splendid work of constructive scholarship, and an authentic source of information about Jaina philosophy and religion that will serve as a good reference book for many years to come.

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