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Introduction
Āpta-Mimāṁsā is a celebrated work written by the Digambara scholar Saint Samantabhadra. According to a tradition current amongst the Digambara Jains, this work is the opening portion of a commentary by the same author known as Gandhahasti Mahābhāşya on the Tattvārthādhigamasūtra by Umāsvāmi. This commentary in full has not been discovered.
The tradition about the existence of Gandhahasti Mahābhāṣya is supported by references to the same in different works. Abhaya-chandra Sūri (14th century A.D.) in his tikā on the sūtra Upajñāte (Sakațāyana Vyākarana, III, 1-182) has refered to Mahābhāsya of Samantabhadra (H1415 HETTO74). Mallişeņa-sūri in his Syādvādamañjari (Śaka era 1214) has mentioned Gandhahasti (aft 3764a-TTTAT FETE Fuad AIS ). Dharmabhūşana in his Nyāyadīpikā has mentioned : "It has been said by the Svāmi in Apta-mīmāṁsā at the beginning of Mahābhāsya” (AGCI स्वामिभिर्महाभाष्यस्यादावाप्तमीमांसाप्रस्तावे). Laghu Samantabhadra (not Svāmi Samantabhadra), who must have flourished later than Vikrama 12th century (because he makes mention of Vasunandi), also says that Devāgama was the Manglācharana of Gandhahasti Mahābhāsya of Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra.
This work is also known as Devāgama Stotra, because the first word of its first verse is Devāgama. Samanta-bhdara in the last verse of his work says that by the preceding verse he has made Āpta-mīmāṁsā (Determination of the Trustworthy). So the name Āpta-mīmāṁsā came also to 1. “तत्त्वार्थाधिगमस्य मोक्षशास्त्रस्य गंधहस्त्याख्यं महाभाष्यमुपनिवध्वन्तः...श्रीस्वामिसमन्त
भद्राचार्यास्तत्र किल मंगलपुरःसर-स्तवविषयपरमाप्तगुणातिशयपरीक्षामुपक्षिप्तवन्तो देवागमाभिधास्य प्रवचनतीर्थस्य सृष्टिमापूरयांचक्रिरे।" Visamapadatatparya-tika by Laghu Samantabhadra on Astasahsri.
