Tattvartha Sutra

SR No.: 006796
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sukhlal Sanghavi, K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 596
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Tattvartha Sutra, & Tattvarth
File Size: 10 MB

Page 65

48
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
(3) Generally speaking, the place of birth Nyagrodhikā should not have been much far from the touring region of Pātaliputra (Patnā) and Magadhadeśa.
2. The Commentators of Tattvārthasūtra
The commentators of Tattvārtha have belonged to both the sects Svetāmbara and Digambara; but the difference is that in Śvetāmbara sect there has been a predominance of commentaries on Tattvārtha-along-with-the-bhāsya while in the Digambara sect there have only been composed commentaries on the original aphorisms. Of these commentators belonging to both the sects some are such competent scholars as deserve to be counted among the Indian philosophers in general; so it is only some of such competent commentators that are being briefly introduced below.
(a) Umāsvāti
The author of a commentary on Tattvārtha in the form of a bhāsya is the aphorist Umāsvāti himself; hence there is no need to write about him separately—things about him having been said alredy. Like Siddhasena-ganin? Ācārya Haribhadra? too identifies the author of the bhāsya with that of the aphorisms—this becomes clear on a perusal of his bhāsya-tīkā. And Praśamarati is treated by Haribhadra as a work by the author of this bhāsya himself.3 In view of this all the present-day supposition to the effect that the bhāsya is not of the form of an auto-commentary turns out to be mistaken. No old Digambara commentator like Pūjyapāda, Akalańka etc. has said a thing that might go against the bhāsya being of the form of an auto-commentary.
1. See the present Introduction p. 31, foot-note 2 and p. 33.
2. "Etannibandhanatvāt saṁsārasyeti svābhiprāyam abhidhyāya matāntaram upanyasann aha—eke tvityādinā" p. 141.
3. Praśamarati Kārikās 210 and 211 have been quoted by Haribhadra in his bhāsya-tīkā after saying Yathoktam anenaiva sūrinā prakaraṇāntare.'