Studies In Umasvati And His Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): G C Tripathi, Ashokkumar Singh
Publisher: Bhogilal Laherchand Institute of Indology

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Studies in Umāsvāti
References
1. Jinadatta Sūri of Kharatara-gaccha, in his Prakrit work, the
Ganadhara-sārddhaśataka (C. AD 1125), refers to this belief: Pasamaraï-pamuha payarana pañcasayā sakkayā kayā jehiñ puvvagaya-vāyagānam tesim Umāsāi-nāmānaṁ// (Cf. Mohanlal Dalichand Deshai, Jaina Sahitya-no Itihāsa, (Gujarāti), Bombay 1933, p.101. For the original, see 'Ganadhara-sārdha-śataka', in Three Apabhraṁsa works of Jinadattasūri, ed. L.B. Gandhi, GOS 37, Baroda, 1967, p. 93, vs. 50.) Also, Vādi Deva Sūri of Bịhad-gaccha, in his Syādavādaratnākara, 1.3 (c. 2nd quarter of the twelfth century), records the same belief: Pañcasati-prakarana-pranayanavīrair-atra bhavadbhir umāsvāti-Vācakamukhyaiḥ /
(Desai, p. 104, infra 91) (I do not at the moment have Vādi Deva Sūri's original work in print before me for quoting the location of the verse therein.) An avacūri on the Praśamarati-prakarana, plausibly written in the late medieval times, also refers to 'Umāsvāti-vācaka' as “pañcaśataprakaraṇaprantā': Cf. Praśamarati-prakaraṇam, ed. Rajkumarji Jain Shastri, Śrī Raicanda Granthamālā-21, Bombay 1950, ‘Parisisa-1', p. 217; and Y.S. Shastri, Praśamarati-prakarana, L.D. Series No. 107, Ahmedabad 1989. And lastly, Jinaprabha Sūri of Kharatara-gaccha, in his famous work, the Kalpapradīpa (completed c. AD 1333), besides noting him as the author of the Sabhāsya-Tattvārthādhigama, also qualifies him as of '500-Samskrta-prakaranas fame': 'Umāsvāti-Vācakaś-ca Kaubhīşani-gotraḥ pañcaśata-saṁskṛta-prakarana-prasiddhastatraiva Tattvārthādhigamaṁ sabhasyaṁ vyaraca-yat.' See the ‘Pāaliputranagara kalpa', in the Vividha Tirthakalpa, ed. Jina Vijaya,
Singhi Jaina Series No. 10, Sāntiniketan 1934, p. 69. 2. The Nirgrantha mind in general, and the Svetāmbara in particular,
is prone to superlative exaggerations. For example, it is believed that the great Haribhadra Sūri had composed 1400/1444 works; the temple of Ajitanātha built by the Solanki emperor Kumārapāla (AD 1165) was 32 storeys high; the caturmukha Dharanavihāra at Rānakpur (AD 1449 and later) has 1444 columns, etc.
3. He was reckoned as 'Purvavid' in the tradition, a title implying his