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CHAPTER 13
The Loka-tattva-nirņaya: A Critical Study
J. B. SHAH
Ācārya Haribhadrasūri has discussed the theories of the creation of the universe and the basic beliefs and principles of different philosophical systems in his Sanskrit work named the Lokatattva-nirņaya, composed in various meters. Although very small, it is an important work. The Jaina philosophers entered rather late in the philosophical field than was expected. But once they entered they depicted almost all the philosophical traditions by way of the prima facie views, and ably discussed
them too. Subsequent to the Agamic period, Ācārya Siddhasena · Divākara was the first to present profound philosophical thoughts
in his works like the Dvātimśad-dvātrimśikā and the San-mati-tarka. After him, the Jaina philosophers like Jinabhadra-gani, Svāmī Samantabhadra, Mallavādī, Simha-sūri, contributed in the field with their important works. Haribhadrasūri's is a highly famous name in this tradition of the Jaina philosophy. According to the traditional view he is supposed to have authored 1,444 works in all, and in them he is said to have discussed numerous tenets of many philosophical systems. Consequently, he was conferred upon the epithet 'Sruta-kevali. Of the several treatises authored by Haribhadrasūri, the Šāstra-vārtā-samuccaya, the Anekāntajaya-patākā and the Şad-darśana-samuccaya are highly well known among the scholars, while the Dharma-sangrahanī, the
