A Note on Abhidan Rajendra: Jain Canonical Dictionary

Summary

This article highlights the monumental scholarly work of Ācārya Vijaya Rajendrasuri, who compiled the Abhidan Rajendra Kosh, a comprehensive Jain canonical dictionary in Hindi. Recognizing the rich but scattered and endangered textual tradition of Jain Āgamas, Rajendrasuri began this effort in 1889 at the age of 63, completing it in 1903 after 14 years of rigorous work. The dictionary is structured alphabetically, presenting: i) Etymologies, grammatical details, and Sanskrit equivalents ii) Usage nuances across Jain texts with references to sutras, commentaries (bhāṣyas), and glosses (niryuktis, cūrṇis) iii) Discussions on schools of Indian philosophy (e.g., Vedānta, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā) iv) It comprises seven volumes, covering over 60,000 Prakrit words and 450,000 Sanskrit verses, with chapter 8 of Hemacandra’s Siddha-Hema Śabdanuśāsana included as a preface. v) Despite passing away in 1906, three editions have since been published—the most recent in 1986 under the guidance of Dr. Nagraj Muni and Ācārya Jayantsensuriji.