________________
20
An Epitome of Jainism
Wemust emphasise one point here. These dates are not to be relied upon as absolutely correct, For according to different Pattavalis there are different dates, and a discrepancy of a few years is inevitable. Therefore the dates must be taken to be rough and provisional. The sequence of the tradition, however, is acknowledged and may be relied upon thoroughly.
According to Śvetâmbara tradition, Umâsvâti was a pupil of Srî Ghoşanandi Kșamana, who was a pupil of Vâchaka-mukhya Siva Srî. In the Sarva Darśana Samgraha of Madhavâchârya he is called Umâsvâti Vâchakacharya.
The name of his father was Svati, that of his mother Vâtsî or Umâ. He was born in the town named Nyagrodhika. He composed his great work in Kusumapur or Pâtaliputra, modern Patna in Bihar.
It is also related that once he made a stone-image of Sarasvatî, the goddess of learning, speak.
A very interesting story is told of how this Great Gem of a Jaina sacred book came to be written.
In Gujarat (Saurâştra) there lived a Jaina layman, Dvaipâyaka. He was a very pious man and withal learned in Jaina religious lore. He was anxious to write some really great Jaina book. But worldly cares forbade the execution of such an unworldly undertaking. To conquer this obstacle, he made a vow not to take his food unless he had made at least one aphorism every day. Thus if he missed adding one aphorism to his book any day, he had to go fasting for that day. For the theme of his book he took Liberation. And put his resolve that very day in practice. He thought out and made the first aphorism as :COTT TTT aftan TT ATT: Belief-knowledgeconduct (united constitute) the path to Liberation. Fearing lest he should forget it, he transcribed it upon a side of a pillar in his house.
Next day Dvaipayaka chanced to go away from his home on some business. In his absence his house was visited by a Saint.
The wife of Dvaipâyaka, herself a pious woman, received the Saint and entertained him. The Saint's eyes fell upon the aphorism on the pillar. He thought over it for a moment and then added the word #F4F before it; and departed.
When Dvaipâyaka returned and saw the correction in his aphorism, he questioned his wife. She had not seen the Saint do it, and said so, but suggested to the husband that it must have been made by the Saint.
The layman-author on this ran at once to find out the noble Saint to . whom he was indebted for such an invaluable and radical correction. He
came upon an order of monks at the outskirts of the town and saw the head of the order sitting in his radiant peace. He at once concluded that this must be the Saint. He fell at the feet of the Saint and made a most humble and heart-felt entreaty that the work was beyond his poor layman's wits and that the saint should oblige him and the world by completing the book, the first aphorism of which had been corrected by the Saint in such a pro
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
