Book Title: Prasharamrati Prakaranam
Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Haribhadrasuri, Anandsagarsuri, Sagaranandsuri
Publisher: Shrutbhuvan Sansodhan Kendra
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Preface
The Author and the Commentator of the Work:
It would prove useful to devote an paragraph or two to the author and the commentator of this work. The author of Prasama-Rati is Pūrvadhara ācārya Śrī Umāsvāti Vācaka. It is almost certain that this Umāsvāti is the same who composed Tattvārtha-Sūtra with bhāsya. From the following extract from his kārikā of Tattvārtha-Bhāsya, we can glean many facts about the author :
The teacher who initiated him to monkhood was Ghosanandi śramana, the holder of eleven angas, and his teacher's teacher was sīvaśrī, the best among vācakas. The teacher who bestowed knowledge to him (vidyāguru) was a pupil of Mundapāda. His native place was the town of Nyagrodhikā, and his gotra Kaubhisani. His father's name was Svāti and mother's Umā of Vātsi gotra. He was initiated into monkhood in Uccanāgara sākhā which originated from SantiŚrenika. This Umāsvāti vācakaśrī, bearing into his heart the teaching-handed down through the heredity of teachers-of Arhat and finding the people deluded and made miserable by petty scripturess, being provoked by compassion towards all beings, composed, while on sacred travel, at the city of Kusumapura, [Pā-aliputral i.e. modern Pa-na in Bihar,] a clear sastra called Tattvārthādhigama.
Although we cannot get any definite idea about his date from this, we can at least know this, that he is having flourished in the time of the daśapūrvadhara, a very ancient ācārya who hailed in the fifth or sixth century of Vikrama.
That the commentator Śrī Haridibhadra Sūri flourished in the latter half of the twelth century V.S. is certain; for the commentator himself in prasasti śloka no. 4 tells us: (“This commentary is writen during Mahārāja Jayasimhadeva's rule at Anahilapura Pā-ana in V.S. 1185.") Although one cannot
1. Cf. Toe YeCHIFT YTTET TARTTELI 37244974HCECARII a pruhyfrifol' Vividha-Tirtha-Kalpa, Singhi Jaina Granthamala Series, No.10, p. 68.
