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Śriman Umāswāti Vācaka-varya is considered to be the first promiment writer in the Sanskrit Language on Jaina Scriptures. Kalikāla Sarvajna Ācārya Mahārāja Srimân Hémacandrācārya gives hin the highest rank among all the pro. minent writers of the times, in the Sanskrit Language.
Śrimãn Umāswāti Vācaka-yarya is the author of 500 works on various subjects. All the works composed hy him are not available. Only 1. Tativārthādhigama Sutra 2. Prasama Rati Prakarana 3. Jambū-dvipa Samāsa Prakarana 4. Srāvaka Prajnapti 5. Pūjā Prakarana 6, Ksétra Vicāra etc. are available. The rest are unavailable. A proof of the authorship of Srimãn Umāswāti Mahārāja can be had from Vividha Tirtha Balpa by Śri Jina Prabha Sūri, and also from the Commentary by Sriman Haribhadra Sūri on the author's Praśama Rati Prakarapa. There are several quotations from the learned author's works, found in commentaries on Sri Uttarādhyayana Sūtra, Śri shāpānga Sūtra, and in Pancāsaka.
HISTORY OF COMPOSITION The under-mentioned story about the History of Compo. sition of Tattvårthādhigama Sutra has been given in a recent publication * and it deserves to be noted though there is no proof of its authenticity in any of the works of Jaina Canonical Literature.
A very interesting story is told of how this Great (em of a Jain Sacred book came to be written
in Gujarat (Saurastra ) there lived a Jaina-layman, Dva ipāyaka. He was a very pious man and withal learned in Jaina religious lore. He was anxious to write some really great Jaina book. But worldly cares forbade the execution of such an unworldly undertaking. To conquer this obstacle he made a vow not to take his food unless he had made at least one aphorism every day. Thus, if he missed adding one aphorism
Tattvarthādhigama Sutra. Volume II of the Sacred Books of the Jainas-Edited by Mr. J. L. Jain. 1920.
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