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TATTVĀRTHASUTRA VERIFICATION OF PRAŠASTI
Sazoko Obıra
It has been a controversy whether the colophon attached to the Sabhasya T. S (Tattvarthasütra) is the authentic document or not, This issuc la somewhat odd in a way, because a mention that Umasveti or Umagvami 18 the author of the T.S. which is unanimously accepted by both aects ia found in the prasasti alone in the earlier literature of both traditions. However alace tho Digambarversion lacka the entire Bhasya portions and aince none of the recorded items in the colophon have yet been proved of their historicity, this problem remains to be investigated, which is attempted to be tackled in the following inquiry pralastfi recorda his biography as follows: 1. Preceptor for initation : Ghoşanandakşamana (ekādasangavid)
Grand-preceptor Śivasrı (vacakamukhya) Precptor for education Mula (vacakācarya)
Grand-preceptor Mundapadakşamana (mabavacaka) 2. Father. Svati of Kaubhisana gotra
Mother Vatsı (Siddhasena comments that his mother's name was Umā and her gotra Vatsa)
Place of birth Nyagrodbika 3, Author . Umāsvati
Position Uccairnagara Vacaka Title of the work : Tattvarthadhgamašastra place of its composition Kusamapura
None of the other work ascribed to him even bearg bis name. Also the practice of attaching such a colophon with full information of the author to this extent, even though the date 19 excluded, was not conventionalized in the classical period His name sounds peculiar and the gotra name Kaubhiga na which finde do mention in the Gotrapravaramanjan appears equally strange. Thus there are enough reasona to suspect that this colophon might be a later interpolation
Unfortunately much of what is told abont himself in the prałasti has ever beca sealed to us becauso its testifial sources, either literary or epigraphical, are inaccessible. Then we are not able to establish a full testimony of the said account What we can do utmost under the circumstances is to try to prove the historicity of any items mentioned above if possible, by which Sambodhi 52-3
