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Tattvartha Sutra

Tattvartha Sutra
Tattvartha Sutra
Tattvartha sutra
Information
ReligionJainism
AuthorUmaswami
LanguageSanskrit
Period2nd to 5th century[1][2]
Chapters10
Sutras350
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Tattvārthasūtra, meaning "On the Nature [artha] of Reality [tattva]" (also known as Tattvarth-adhigama-sutra or Moksha-shastra) is an ancient Jain text written by Acharya Umaswami in Sanskrit, sometime between the 2nd- and 5th-century CE.[3][4][1][5][6][7]

The Tattvārthasūtra is regarded as one of the earliest, most authoritative texts in Jainism. It is accepted as authoritative in both its major sub-traditions – Digambara and Śvētāmbara – as well as the minor sub-traditions. It is a philosophical text, and its importance in Jainism is comparable with that of the Brahma Sutras and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Hinduism. In an aphoristic sutra style of ancient Indian texts, it presents the complete Jainism philosophy in 350 sutras over 10 chapters.[8][9] The text has attracted numerous commentaries, translations and interpretations since the 5th-century.[10]

One of its sutras, Parasparopagraho Jivanam is the motto of Jainism. Its meaning is interpreted as "(The function) of souls is to help one another",[11] or "Souls render service to one another".[12]

  1. ^ a b Paul Dundas (2006). Patrick Olivelle (ed.). Between the Empires : Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE. Oxford University Press. pp. 395–396. ISBN 978-0-19-977507-1.
  2. ^ Walter Slaje (2008), Śāstrārambha: Inquiries Into the Preamble in Sanskrit, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, pp. 35 with footnote 23, ISBN 978-3-447-05645-8
  3. ^ "Tattvārtha Sūtra". encyclopedia.com.
  4. ^ Dundas 2002, p. 86.
  5. ^ Hemacandra; R. C. C. Fynes (1998). The Lives of the Jain Elders. Oxford University Press. p. xxxix. ISBN 978-0-19-283227-6.
  6. ^ Sir Monier Monier-Williams; Ernst Leumann; Carl Cappeller (2002). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-3105-6.
  7. ^ Vijay K. Jain 2011, p. vi.
  8. ^ Jaini 1998, p. 82.
  9. ^ K. V. Mardia (1990). The Scientific Foundations of Jainism. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 103. ISBN 978-81-208-0658-0. Thus, there is a vast literature available but it seems that Tattvartha Sutra of Umasvati can be regarded as the main philosophical text of the religion and is recognized as authoritative by all Jains.
  10. ^ Natubhai Shah 2004, p. 48.
  11. ^ Vijay K. Jain 2011, p. 72.
  12. ^ Umāsvāti 1994, p. 131.