Jaina World of Non Living

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 22

The Jaina world of Non-living
“Nyagrodhika' (whose identification seems to be difficult). However, recently, Dr. Jain has identified this place with Nagod in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh in the vicinity of which origination of shortlived “Uccanagara' (Ucehara city ) lineage could be traced at least scholarly. The Digambaras take him to belong to the Nandi order. He received education under a Brahmin teacher named 'Mula'. What led to his Jinistic initiation, is not known but it is a said that he got initiated at the age of 19 by the striver tradition saint Ghoşanandi. He became proficient in (I) pre-canonical tradition and scriptures (ii) Sansksta language and grammar and (iii) the prevalent major non-Jaina philosophical systems. His scholarship is qualified with the terms 'precanon proficient' and 'scripture-proficient' These titles indicate only his deep scholarship rather than their literal meanings as the pre-canons were lost to memory and canonical scriptures were traditionally oral by his time. He became pontif of his lineage at the age of 44 and continued this position creditably until his death at the age of 84 as per J.L. Jaini. Thus, the reasonable period of the aphorist is 215-299 A.D. reasonably a third century aphorist. He had an able disciple named Balāka-piccha and grand - disciple named as Gunanandi.
He composed the "Tattvartha-Sutra' at Kusumpur (current Patna. Bihar) or Urjayanta (Girnar, Gujrat - in those times in southern side) at the request of a righteous votary for the benefit of human kind. This he might have done at a mature age of roughly 50 Years, i.e. in later half of the third century A.D. ( The composition of autocommentary and at least ‘Prasama-rati-prakarana' is also ascribed to him under debate from one side). It is pleasing to learn that there is at least one author from the north (?) on whom Digambaras stake their claim as most of the early Digambara seers and authors belong to the south. He also seems to belong to the South rather than north. Acārya Virasena mentions southern and northern postulates on many occasions indicating differences of opinion on many issues between the two. However, Tattvārtha Sūtra is a highly systematic text as above and prior to these contentions.
Looking from the current trends of biography, the above sketch seems to be quite incomplete as there are no details about his work and activities during such a long life-span. Nevertheless, we can have a respectful idea about the aphorist from what we have in different sources. The Tattvartha Sūtra (Aphorismic Treatise on Reals) : Text and Contents
The scholars have pointed out that the Tattvārtha Sūtra is the crowning achievement for systematically summarising the concepts and issues related to the Jaina philosophy, ethics, logic and mythology. It is a
17