Jinamanjari 2000 09 No 22

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 67

BOOK REVIEWS
Jaina Karmology: An English Translation with Notes on Chapter Eight of the Tattvārtha-Rāja-Vārtika of Akalarka. By N.L. Jain. Pārsvanātha Vidyāpītha, Varanasi, 1998. Pp.180, with index and appendix. Pārsvanātha Vidyāpītha Ser. No. 109. ISBN 81-86715-31-2 Rs. 100.00
Of all Jaina philosophical texts the Tattvārtha-sútra of Umāsvāti (Umāsvāmī) is not only considered one of the most comprehensive summaries of Jaina metaphysics -- it manages to synthesize the entire Jaina doctrinal system into a mere 350 sūtras -- but also holds the unique position of being the one text recognized as authoritative by both the Svetāmbaras and Digambaras communities. Linguistically, the Tattvārtha-sutra (also known as the Tattvārthaadhigam or Mokșa-śāstra) also holds the unique distinction of being both the first Jaina text written in the Sanskrit language, and one which uses the aphoristic mode of presentation known as the sūtra-style.
As N.L. Jain quickly outlines in his introduction, the problem with texts written in this particular style is that their depth in meaning tends to be masked by their beauty in grammatical construction. That is, much like texts such as Patañjali's Yoga-sūtras or Bādarāyana's Vedānta-sūtras, the rather short and technical sentences tend to obscure meaning and clarity -- a condition which can be rectified only with subsequent explanation or commentary.
To date there are more than twenty extant commentaries on the Tattvārtha-sūtra. According to the Svetāmbara tradition, Umāsvāti himself is credited with writing the first bhāsya (commentary) known as the Svabhāsya (auto commentary) or Svopajña-bhāsya. The Digambaras, on the other hand, reject proposals of Umāsvāti's authorship of the Svabhāsya and contend that perhaps some of the more commanding commentaries of the Tattvārtha-sūtra are Pūjyapāda's Sarvārthasiddhi (c. 6th century C.E.) and Akalanka's Rajavārttika (Tattvārtharajavārttikālankara). It is the eighth chapter of the latter text that is the focus of Dr. N.L. Jain's recent translation.
According to his introduction there are three primary questions asked in all Indian philosophies: Why does suffering enter into an individual's life? Are there any partial or complete remedial measures to
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