Book Release: Nine Sacred Recitations of Jainism
Nine Sacred Recitations of Jainism
By Vinod Kapashi
Ed. by Signe Kirde
Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay, 2007
ISBN 978-81-88769- 05-6
Shvetambara Jains have recited 9 special recitations for centuries. For the first time, these have been translated in English, keenly analysed and studied with respect to historical background, traditional beliefs and their scriptural basis. In addition to the sacred recitations themselves, concomitant mantras and yantras have been presented and examined.
The author Vinod Kapashi has painstakingly examined each chanda of each verse of the 9 stotras and has presented them with appropriate metrical analysis and historical perspectives. He has engaged with traditional beliefs associated with the 9 sacred recitations.
The book presents scriptural, traditional as well as subaltern perspectives of Jainism in practise and should be of interest to those of the Jain faith, scholars, Indologists and social historians. All 9 recitations have been printed in Devanagari and Roman with diacritical marks. There are bibliographies of primary and secondary sources as well as a Glossary of Terms.
This study of Jain recitations has been brilliantly edited by Signe Kirde.