Prashamratiprakaran

Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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treatise.34 Abhayadevasűri (10th A. D.) commenting on Sanmatitarkaprakaraña quotes a verse from Prasamarati to show that his view is supported by Umäsväti Vacaka.35 Again, another well known writec Sri Sāntisūri in his Dharmarat naprakaraṇavrtti attributes Praśamarati to Umāsvāti, 36 and quotes 16 verses from it in different contexts.37 These evidences suffice to lead us to the definite conclusion that Praśamarati is recognised right from the beginning as a work of Umäsväti.
This work of the learned author is one of the masterpieces on Jaina Ethics, Philosophy and Religion. It is a compendious work covering the quintessence of Jainism in a convincing manner. This work holds a unique place in the old Sanskrit Jaina literature. Unlike the Tattvārthasūtra which is purely philosophical in its nature, the Praśamarati is an ethico-philosophical text of more popular nature addressed to the monks and laymen alike. By the nature of its contents and easy language of the verses, it is studied with utmost devotion by Jainas. It is a sourcebook of religious inspiration and spiritual solace for thousands of spiritually minded people.
This work contains 313 verses in lucid Sanskrit in Aryä metre and is divided into 22 chapters known as adhikūras, 3 8 covering almost all the imporrant doctrines of Jainism. III-SUMMARY OF PRASAMARATI :
Fist Adhikūra (1-23) is an introductory chapter in which the author, after paying homage to Pañcaparameşthins39 states the purpose of his undertaking to write this book. The main object of this work is to make one's mind firm on the path of non-attachment to reach an absolutely unperturbed state of the Self.40 This work is composed out of devotion (7) towards Jinavacanas that are meant for the benefit of the lay men. Then the writer, with a characteristic modesty, requests the scholars not to mind his intellectual weakness and any type of slips in this work-(8-11). The author says that he is not preaching any new principle but repeating the ideas which are already told and retold by ancient Acāryas and scholars (12). He defends this repetition by saying that just as certain mantras and medicines, which are used repeatedly, cure diseases, - similarly, repetitions have a decided value in annihilation of diseases of attachment (13-15). Here the author explains the term 'prasama' occuring in the title of the present work as a synonym of vairägya-non-attachment (17). Then the author introduces the central theme of this work stating that attachment and aversion (rūga-dveşa) are the cause of the karmic bondage in samsūra and discribes the nature of the mundane soul (kasa yijiva) (20-23).
Second Chapter (24-30) deals with four kinds of passions (kaşayas) viz, anger (krodha) pride (māna), deceit (māyā) and greed (lobha) as the root cause of mundane life.