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"Tattvartha" is a scripture of a branch of Indian philosophical knowledge, and thus its history includes the lineage of scholars. The knowledge contained in Tattvartha has been acquired by its author from the earlier lineage of gurus, and it has been organized in a certain form according to the perspective of his forefathers for the purpose of making it more useful. Additionally, the essence of that knowledge has been shaped in the scripture. The form that has been organized in the Tattvartha has not remained unchanged in later times. Its practitioners and commentators have, according to the strength of their ancestral lineage, adapted some of the prevailing ideas of their own times to improve, expand, and develop that knowledge. Therefore, in this introduction, alongside Tattvartha and its author, there is also an introduction to the extensively developed commentaries on Tattvartha and their authors.
The author of the Tattvartha-dharma has been recognized uniformly by all sects of the Jain tradition from ancient times to the present. The Digambara tradition has considered that he belonged to their sect, while the Shvetambara tradition has regarded him as belonging to their own. In the Digambara tradition, he is known by the names "Umaswami" and "Umasvati," while in the Shvetambara tradition, he is known simply as "Umasvati." Currently, all Digambaras unanimously consider Umasvati, the author of the Tattvartha scripture, as a disciple of Kundakunda; and among Shvetambaras, there is also some degree of consensus regarding this.