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3 SANMATI AND ITS COMMENTARY
117
name "Sammati," though we had a doubt as to the propriety of it :(1) The name Sam mati is heard from the mouth of
almost every Jaina scholar and Jaina monk ; (2) The name Sam mati is mentioned in most of the
available manuscripts, and The last of the scholars among the Jainas, Yasovijayaji, in bis works, mentions the word Sammati, as the name of the present work. Even the ancient author of Śwetambara and Digam
bara sects mention the same name. Now the most important reason of altering this name Sammati, in the fifth volume, was this, that we came across in Dhananjaya-nāma-mālā? the word Sanmati given as one of the names of Mabā vīra. Since we came across this reference, all our doubts were set at rest, as regards the propriety of this word Sanmati, and we were convinced that the real word ought to be Sanmati instead of Sammati. The chief reason of this alteration was this that the word Sanmati is an epithet of Mahāvīra and thus connects the present work in a peculiar way with Mahāvīra himself. The second reason was this that Sanmati literally means supreme genius, or a man with superior intellect. Now this meaning suggested by the pun rightly gives an estimate of the position of the present author in Jaina literature. The name 'Sammati'. does not fit in so much with the work which deals the
1 "Fanfaraalaatd, weialdse1999:"
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