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INTRODUCTION : XXXIII
can be ascertained from the preface to the German translation of * Tattvārtha Sūtra’by him.
The Original Version Of Tattvārtha Sūtra -
Based on study of various manuscripts - both of Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions, Dr. Suzuki Ohira has concluded that the Svetāmbara Sbhāsya recension was the original one, which was modified and rearranged by the Digambara masters down the ages.12 Further, she adds, “The text presented in the svetāmbara camp is the archetype from which the Digambara recension has been derived”.13 Based on his analysis of various factors, Prof. Sagarmal Jain has also reached a similar conclusion. 14
Umāsvāti's Period -
As there is no evidence available that may be indicative of the period in which Vācaka Umāsvati lived and worked in the laudatory composition mentioned earlier; it is difficult to estimate it with desired certainty. Likewise, there is no other dependable source available as yet which can so determine his period. Under such circumstances any estimate of his period is based on indirect evidence such as tne branch of monks in which he was ordained and educated, the periods of the earliest commentators on the *Tattvārtha Sūtra', comparison of his style of writing with those of the other philosophical works, etc.
It is difficult to ascertain as to when the 'Uccanāgara'
12 A Study of Tattvārthasūtra With Bhāşya, ibid, pp. 5, 6. 13 Ibid, p. 23.
14 Tattvārthasūtra Aur Uski Paramparā, ibid, p. 19. Jain Education International
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