Allahabad :
Sangam City is a proud custodian of rare manuscript of a scripture related to ‘Agamas’ or ‘shastra’ of Jainism based on Lord Mahavir’s teachings. A few of its verses are even coated with gold. The script of this rare invaluable manuscript is yet to be deciphered. Experts believe that the text could be in the oldest spoken language of ‘Prakrit’. However, few others believe that the script could also either be Sanskrit, Oriya or Bengali.
The manuscript, currently in the possession of state’s only Government Manuscript Library, has remained out of public eyes owing to paucity of fund. For record sake, the library has been safeguarding the manuscript for the last 55 years.
Due to lack of proper conservation and preservation technique, several lines of ‘verses in gold’ faded away in 1987. Later, the then officials re-wrote the missing part with yellow ink. Currently, the regional archive officer has the additional charge of the library owing to absence of experts.
Regional archive officer Amit Agnihotri said that since the manuscript kept at library was in Prakrit language prevalent among common masses around 2,000 years ago, its composition in writing started around 10th Century AD. “The minute gold work started in later period so its date could range from 1500 to 1600 AD,” added Agnihotri.
He added, “We are in the process of engaging Lucknow University and IIT-Kanpur in conservation and identifying the language in which the texts are written.”
Highlighting the importance of ‘Agamas’, former dean of Allahabad University and an expert in Jain literature, PC Jain said: “Earlier teachings of Lord Mahavir were passed on by his disciples by word of mouth owing to absence of writing technique. Over 500 years after the Nirvana of Lord Mahavir, some disciples led by seer Pushpdant started compiling Lord’s teachings in taadpatra (palm leaves) at a place, around 35-kms from Mangalore in Karnataka.”
For the last three decades, Jain has been involved in restoring places visited by Lord Mahavir during his life time.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / April 03rd, 2015