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AUTHOR'S LIFE
Very little is known at present of the life of the Author His name was Umasvami, or, according to the Syctambara version Umasvati His spiritual desccnt is given below
It is known that Umasvamı renounced the world at the carly age of 19 years He remained an ascetic for 25 years Then he became the head of ascetics (Acharya) From these we got the following brief sketch of dates in his life
A very interesting story is told of hon this Great Gem of a Jain sacred book came to be written
In Gujarat (Saurastra) there lived a Jain layman, Dwaipavaka He was a very pious man and withal learned in Jaina religious lore He was anxious to write some really gicat Jain book But worldly cares forbade the cxccution of such an unu orldly 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 to his book any day lic had to go fasting for that day For the theme of his book lic took Liberation And put his resolve that very day in practicc Hc thought out and made the first aphorism as PETE MA 7 1 2 Belicf-knowledgeconduct (united constitute) the path to Liberation Fearing least he should forget it, he transcribed it upon a side of a pillar in his house
Next day Dvaipayaha chanced to go away from his home on some business In his absence his house was visited by a Saint
The wife of Dvaipayaka, herself a pious woman, received the Saint and entertained him The Saint's eyes fell upon the aphorism on the pillar He thought over it for a moment and then added the word Frih before it, and departed
When Dvaipayaka returned and saw the correction in his adhor. ism, he questioned his wife She had not seen the Saint do it, and said so, but suggested to the husband that it must have been made by the Saint
The layman-author on this ran at once to find out the noble Saint to whom he was indebted for such an-invaluable and redical correction He came upon an order of monks at the outskirts of the town and saw the head of the order sitting in his radiant peace
