Preface (Ācārya Umāsvāmī’s Tattvārthasūtra)

तत्त्वार्थसूत्रकर्तारं गृद्धपिच्छोपलक्षितम् ।
वन्दे गणीन्द्रसंजातमुमास्वामिमुनीश्वरम् ॥

तत्त्वार्थसूत्र के कर्ता, गृद्धपिच्छ से उपलक्षित, गणीन्द्र, श्रेष्ठ, उमास्वामी मुनीश्वर की मैं वन्दना करता हूँ ।

tattvārthasūtrakartāraṃ gṛddhapicchopalakṣitam |
vande gaṇīndrasaṃjātamumāsvāmimunīśvaram ||

I make obeisance to the lord of the congregation of ascetics, venerable, and possessor of the whisk made of the vulture-feather, Ācārya Umāsvāmī, the composer of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’.

The Scripture is the Word of the Omniscient ‘Tīrthaṃkara’ or ‘Āpta’ or ‘Lord Jina’. It is inviolable and not opposed to the two kinds of valid knowledge–direct (pratyakṣa) and indirect (parokṣa). The ancient, learned preceptors–particularly prior to the 5th or 6th century CE, have deliberately abstained from mentioning their names or lineage in the profound Scripture that they had composed. They believed that their task was just to faithfully present, for the benefit of the bhavya souls, the Word of the Omniscient Tīrthaṃkara. The Scripture is replete with phrases like ‘vadanti jināḥ’ (in Sanskrit) and ‘jiṇa bhaṇiyam’ (in Prākrit) cautioning the reader that what has been said herein is only the Word of the Omniscient Tīrthaṃkara. Further, they believed that the association of their names with the Scripture in no way adds to its acceptability or sanctity.

Taking cue from works by the subsequent ācārya and various inscriptions, it has been established that Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha is the author of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’. Two other names of Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha are common–Ācārya Umāsvāmī and Ācārya Umāsvāti. The digambara tradition believes that Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha (Ācārya Umāsvāmī) may have been a direct disciple of Ācārya Kundakunda who graced this earth at the beginning of the Christian era. Thus, the time for Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha (Ācārya Umāsvāmī) is set at the 1st century CE. Two versions of a story, regarding the origin of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’, are found in Jaina literature.

Once a bhavya soul, keen to tread the path to liberation, wrote on the wall of his home the following sūtra: ‘darśanajñānacāritrāṇi mokṣamārgaḥ’. Subsequently, he had to go out of his village for a few days for some work. In the meantime, Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha (Ācārya Umāsvāmī) happened to visit his home, seeking food. On seeing the sūtra written on the wall, he prefixed it with the word ‘samyak’. On his return, the bhavya soul was absolutely amazed to see the correction incorporated in the sūtra. He set about to approach the most learned Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha. On finding the Ācārya, he requested him to compose the Scripture that can lead a bhavya soul to the path to liberation. And, the Ācārya composed ‘Tattvārthasūtra’.

The other version of the story narrates that once a certain bhavya individual, Dvaiyāka, approached Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha (Ācārya Umāsvāmī) in his lonely abode and pleaded, “O Supreme Sage, tell me what is rewarding to the soul?” The Ācārya gave the propitious reply, “Liberation (mokṣa).” Dvaiyāka then asked, “What is the nature of liberation and the way to attain it?” The Ācārya explained the true nature of liberation and the way to attain it. It consists in right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, together. However, the misbelievers, without understanding the true nature of liberation, argue in many ways. Some mistake only the knowledge, without conduct, for the path to liberation. Some others mistake only the faith, and some others only the conduct, for the path to liberation. Just as the knowledge, the faith or the intake of the medicine, severally, fail to yield the desired therapeutic result, similarly, the faith, the knowledge or the conduct that together constitute the path to liberation, fail to yield the desired result of attainment of liberation if employed severally. On further questioning by Dvaiyāka, the Ācārya composed the sūtra: ‘samyakdarśanajñānacāritrāṇi mokṣamārgaḥ’. This sūtra became the basis for the composition of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’.

‘Tattvārthasūtra’ is also known as ‘Mokṣaśāstra’; mokṣa or liberation, the ultimate good of the soul, being its subject matter. ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ is the major Scripture that deals with the Jaina Doctrine. It expounds in form of aphorisms–sūtra–the nature of the reality, as well as the conduct that leads one to the blissful stage of liberation. Although, Prākrit was the preferred language at that time, ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ has been composed in Sanskrit, probably due to the onset of Sanskrit as the language for literary works. ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ is the first major work, dealing with the Jaina philosophy, in Sanskrit.

Brief and to-the-point, ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ delineates beautifully the essentials of all objects-of-knowledge (jñeya). All sects of Jainas have adopted it as their main Scripture. It enjoys tremendous popularity among the philosophical as well as the spiritual seekers, worldwide. It occupies among the Jainas the same place-of-pride as ‘The Bhagavad-gītā’ among the Hindus, ‘The Bible’ among the Christians, and ‘The Qurān’ among the Muslims. Many Jaina devotees read it everyday, particularly so during the fasting days, i.e., the eighth and the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight. During the ten-day festival of ‘dasalakṣaṇa’, discourses–one chapter each day–on ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ are arranged in Jaina temples and devotees listen to these with great veneration.

Now since the masterpiece ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ has been composed by Ācārya Gṛddhpiccha (Ācārya Umāsvāmī) in form of aphorisms–sūtra–only the men of extraordinary brilliance and accomplishment are able to interpret and understand the full import of each sūtra. Most tenets expounded in the treatise are beyond comprehension of the men of ordinary wisdom, accustomed to seeing and believing objects with form, through worldly means that rely primarily on sensory inputs. Objects-of-knoweldge that are subtle (like drayakarma), distant in space (like Mount Meru) and distant in time (like past and future births), which are beyond direct perception of the mundane souls, are discussed extensively in ‘Tattvārthasūtra’.

For the benefit of future ascetics and laymen, some later learned and advanced preceptors, therefore, took upon themselves the task of elaborating, with precision, the meaning of each sūtra that comprises ‘Tattvārthasūtra’:

Ācārya Samantabhadra (circa 2nd century CE) is believed to have written an extensive commentary called ‘Gandhahastimahābhāṣya’. Uncertainty prevails about its existence.

‘Sarvārthasiddhi’ by Ācārya Pūjyapāda (circa 5th century CE) is the first and foremost extant commentary on ‘Tattvārthasūtra’.

‘Tattvārthavārtika’ or ‘Tattvārtharājavārtika’ or ‘Rājavārtika’ by Bhaṭṭākalaṃkadeva (circa 7th century CE) is another commentary on ‘Tattvārthasūtra’, marked by extraordinary philosophical precision and logical analysis.

‘Tattvārthaślokavārtika’ by Ācārya Vidyānanda (circa 9th century VS)^[1]–great logician, and composer of ‘Aṣṭasahsrī’.

‘Tattvārthasāra’ by Ācārya Amṛtacandra (circa 10th century VS). ‘Tattvārthasāra’ is not a direct commentary on ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ but an independent work, based on ‘Tattvārthasūtra’. Excerpts from

‘Tattvārtharājavārtika’ too have been used at places.

‘Tattvārthavṛtti’ by Ācārya Śrutasāgara (circa 16th century VS).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Gregorian Year 2000 CE corresponds to Year 2057 in the Vikrama Saṃvat (VS) calendar.