Rasa In The Jaina Sanskrit Mahakavyas From 8th to 15th Century A.D. (An Old And Rare Book)

This is a doctoral thesis submitted by the author to the University of Delhi for the award of a Ph. D. degree in Sanskrit. It is an attempt at critical appreciation of the sentiment (Rasa) in the Jaina Sanskrit Mahäkävyas, a class of work which has, hitherto, been over looked as being sectarian. It is thus hoped that this study would add to the knowledge of the literary beauty of Sanskrit literature. Nineteen works have been included in this study in their chronological order. The thirteen chapters in themselves deal with ten sentiments including the sentiment, of parental affection, emotion, semblance of sentiment, semblance of emotion, allayment of emotion, mixture of emotion and variegation of emotion and an analytical abbreviation of conclusions.

Pushpa Gupta got first class with first position in B. A. Hons. (Sanskrit), Delhi University, 1965, first class with second position in M. A. (Sanskrit), Delhi University 1967 and took her Ph. D. again from Delhi University in 1978. Was awarded National Scholarship after B.A. Hons. 1965-67. Was also a recepient of Research scholarship, U. G. C. 1967-69.

It gives me immense pleasure to write a few lines by way of introduction to the work 'Rasa in the Jaina Sanskrit Mahākāvyas (from 8th to 15th Century A.D.)' by Dr. Mrs. Pushpa Gupta, who earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Delhi on it. She is one of my earliest students who studied with me right from the first year Honours to M.A. Final and who sought my guidance at the research level also. I have a very high opinion about her as a hard working devoted scholar who has the habit of doing things methodically right from her early student life with the result that she won two gold medals for topping the list of the successful students of the University of Delhi-one at the graduate level and another at the post-graduate level.

Though Mrs. Gupta completed the work in 1977, it is able to see the light of the day in 1992 after a lapse of 15 long years. The reason is most probably the tendency of the publishers the give low priority to research works which are not commercially viable. In any case, better late than never.

**Contents and Sample Pages**