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Śramana, Vol. 58, No. 1
January March 2007
TATTVĀRTHAVIVARANA
AN APPRAISAL
Dr. G.L. Suthar
Acārya Umāsvāti is renowned as the exponent of Jaina philosophy who has pioneered in authoring the aphoristic treatise in Sanskrit language. The prominent logicians of both the sects have tested their philosophical acumen and scholarship by writing learned commentaries and glosses on the Tattvārtha-sūtra. All the later Jaina philosophers have held the treatise in high esteem as is evident from the statement of the aphorist Ācārya Hemacandra Sūri in his Prāmāņa-mīmāmsā - "Yadi vā prekşasva vācakamukhyaviracitāni sakalaśāstracüdāmaņibhūtāni Tattvārthasūtrāņi.')
It is this treatise which has established the aphoristic style of Sanskrit in Jaina tradition and inspired the later Jaina philosophers for writing their works in Sanskrit. It is worth mentioning here that the Tattvārtha-sūtra has the trinity of Jñāna, Darśana and Căritra for its subject-matter. Apart from Umāsvāti himself, the other commentators, Vșttikāras and Vārtikakäras of the treatise are - Gandhahasti Siddhasena Gaņi (3rd 4th cent. AD), Siddhasena Divākara (6th cent. AD), Haribhadra (8th cent. AD), Yaśobhadra (351-235 BC), Vācaka Yaśovijaya (1620-1686 AD), Gani Yaśovijaya (17th-18th cent. AD), Pūjyapāda (510--600 AD), Bhatta Akalanka (620 to 680 AD), Vidyānanda (First half of 9th cent. AD), Śrutasāgara (16th cent. AD), Vibudhasena (life-period unde
* Director, Pandit Madhusudan Ojha, Research Cell, Department
of Sanskrit J.N. Vyas University, Jodhpur
