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Umasvati's Contribution to Indian
Philosophy
YAJNESHWAR S. SHASTRI
Jainism is one of the major philosophical systems of India. Since 2500 years it has made manifold contributions to Indian culture through its literature, religion, philosophy, architecture, sculpture, painting and music. Our author Acarya Umasvati Vacaka who flourished circa 4th Century A.D. belongs to the galaxy of master-minds of the Jaina literary world holding a pre-eminent place among intellectuals and saints of the Jaina community. The position which he occupies among Jaina authors is of a unique character. As far as the available literature of the Jainas is concerned, he is the first among the Jaina masters to present fundamental principles of Jainism in Sanskrit language. The credit of introducing Jainism in sūtra form (aphoristic form) on the lines of NyayaVaisesika sūtras, goes to this author. His contribution to Jaina philosophy, religion, ethics, psychology and cosmology, through his monumental work Tattvarthādhigama-sūtral (T.S.) is unparalleled in the history of Jainism. He is the first author who has introduced the term adhyāya in T.S. instead of adhyayana of early Jaina Agamas. Again, he is the first Jaina author to adopt Sanskrit poetic media to propagate Jaina philosophy and religion. The Praśamarati-prakarana' of this learned author is one of the master-pieces in this direction. This is also a compendious work covering the quintessence of Jainism in a convincing manner. Though many other works such as Jambūdvīpa-samāsa, Srāvaka-prajñapti and Pūjā-prakarana are attributed to this author, but the two works viz., Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra and Praśamarati-prakarana are really milestones and have left unimaginable impact on the later Jaina writers and have proved to be a milch-cow for later commentators for quotations. Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra is purely philosophical in its nature while Praśamarati is religo-philosophical treatise of more popular nature addressed to monks and lay followers. His contribution to metaphysics and ethics through these two works is perhaps the most valuable contribution, not merely to Indian philosophy, but to world thought.
Tattvarthadhigama-sutram (T.S.), Part I and II, ed. H. R. Kapadia, pub J. S, J.
Javeri, Bombay, 1926 and 1930. 2 Prasamarati-prakarana with Haribhadra's commentary, pub. D. L. Jaina Pustakod
dhara Samstha, Surat, 1940.
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