International Journal Of Jaina Studies Vol 01 To 03 2005 To 2007

SR No.: 022773
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Peter Flugel
Publisher: Hindi Granth Karyalay
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 202
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 182

2. Some Digambaras argue for the authenticity of the Satkhandägama and the commentaries on it. According to them, the teaching of Lord Mahāvīra is partially preserved in this text, which was made accessible even for Digambaras only in the twentieth century. Others maintain that the original āgama tradition comprising the authoritative teaching of Mahāvīra completely vanished 683 years after his nirvāna.' Even after that time, however, Digambaras seem to have preserved some portions of the āgamas in a different way.
Both Svetāmbara and Digambara traditions agree that the twelfth anga, the Drstivāda, has been long extinct. Even so, they have some information on this text. We shall see how the text is described in the Digambara and “vetāmbara schools to find similarities as well as dissimilarities between their descriptions.
3. Let us begin our discussion with the Tattvārthasūtra (hereafter TS) which is regarded as an authoritative text by both schools. The authorship of the TS is uncertain. According to the Svetāmbaras the name of the author is Umāsvāti while the Digambaras call him Umāsvāmin. The TS has been commented on by many philosophers. The Svetāmbaras claim that Umāsvāti himself wrote the commentary upon TS, and the Digambaras deny the fact. However, the sūtra of the TS which we will discuss is authorized by both schools. In the twentieth sūtra of chapter I, the author refers to śrul or authentic scripture which is one of five varieties of valid knowledge or pramāna. He explains that śruta can be categorized into three groups and that each of them has two, many and twelve" subdivisions.
3.1. Pūjyapāda in the sixth century is the first Digambara scholar to write a commentary on the TS. Commenting on TS 1.20, he explains as follows:
3 On the publication of this text, see Dundas 2002: 63-65.
4 Dixit 1971: 79.
5 The Śvetambara school calls this text Tattvārthādhigamasūtra. In this paper the author will use the title given by the Digambara school.
6 TS 1.20: śruam matipurvam dvyanekadvādaśabhedam.
7 We cannot decide his date with certainty. But it can be said that he must be junior to Samantabhadra and senior to Akalanka
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