| Tattvartha Sutra | |
|---|---|
 Tattvartha sutra | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Author | Umaswami |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Period | 2nd to 5th century[1][2] |
| Chapters | 10 |
| Sutras | 350 |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
|---|
 |
Ethics Ethics of Jainism
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Major sects |
Tattvārthasūtra, meaning "On the Nature [artha] of Reality [tattva]" (also known asTattvarth-adhigama-sutra orMoksha-shastra) is an ancientJain text written byAcharyaUmaswami inSanskrit, sometime between the 2nd- and 5th-century CE.[3][4][1][5][6][7]
TheTattvārthasūtra is regarded as one of the earliest, most authoritative texts inJainism. It is accepted as authoritative in both its major sub-traditions –Digambara andŚvētāmbara – as well as the minor sub-traditions. It is a philosophical text, and its importance in Jainism is comparable with that of theBrahma Sutras andYoga Sutras of Patanjali inHinduism. In an aphoristicsutra 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]
Tattvartha Sutra is also known in Jainism as theMoksha-shastra (Scripture describing the path of liberation).[13][14]
The text written inSanskrit,[10] begins with an invocation:
I bow to the Lord, the promulgator of the path to liberation, the destroyer of mountains of karmas and the knower of the whole of reality, so that I may realize these qualities.[15]
The first verse ofTattvārthsūtra, "सम्यग्दर्शनज्ञानचारित्राणि मोक्षमार्ग:" (samyag-darśana-jñāna-cāritrāṇi mokṣamārgaḥ), summarizes the Jaina path to liberation. It means that theRatnatraya (three jewels: right view, right knowledge and right conduct) collectively constitutes the path to liberation ormoksha.[13][16]
Its ten chapters are:[17]
The first chapter deals with the process of cognition and details about different types of knowledge. The next three chapters deal with theJīva (soul), lower worlds,naraka, and celestial abodes,devas. The fifth chapter discusses the Non-soul (ajīva). The next three chapters deal with thekarmas and their manifestations and the influx,asrava, good and badkarma,shubha-ashubha karma and thebondage of the karmas. The ninth chapter describes the blocking,samvara and shedding of the karmas,nirjara. The final chapter discussesmoksha or the liberation of the soul.[8]
The theology inTattvartha Sutra presents seven categories of truth in sutra 1.4:[18]
Umaswami categorizes the types of knowledge to be empirical, attained through one's sense of perception. He adds that knowledge is also acquired through literature, clairvoyance, and omniscience.[19] In chapter 2, Umaswati presents sutras on soul. He asserts that soul is distinguished by suppression of deluding karma, or elimination of eight types of karmas, or partial presence of destructive karmas, or arising of eight types of new karmas, or those that are innate to the soul, or a combination of these.[20] In chapter 3 through 6, Umaswati presents sutras for his first three categories of truth.[21]
In chapter 7, Umaswami presents the Jaina vows and explains their value in stopping karmic particle inflow to the soul. The vows, with their respective translations by Nathmal Tatia, are:[22]
Umaswati, in chapter 8 ofTattvartha Sutra presents his sutras on howkarma affects rebirths. He asserts that accumulated karma in life determines the length of life and realm of rebirth for each soul in each of four states – infernal beings, plants and animals, human beings and as gods.[23][24] Further, states Umaswati, karma also affects the body, the shape, the characteristics as well as the status of the soul within the same species, such asUcchi (upper) orNicchi (lower) status.[23][24] The accumulated and new karma are material particles, states Umaswati, which stick to the soul and these travel with the soul from one life to the next as bondage, where each ripens.[25][26] Once ripened, the karmic particles fall off, states Umaswati.[25][26]
Chapter 9 ofTattvartha Sutra states how karmic particles can be stopped from attaching to the soul and how these can be shed.[27][28] Umaswati asserts thatgupti (curbing activity),dharma (virtues such as forbearance, modesty, purity, truthfulness, self-restraint, austerity, renunciation), contemplation, endurance in hardship (he lists twenty-two hardships including hunger, thirst, cold, heat, nakedness, injury, lack of gain, illness, praise, disrespect), and with good character towards others (he lists five – equanimity, reinitiation, non-injury (Ahimsa), slight passion and fair conduct), a soul stops karmic accumulations.[28] External austerities such as fasting, reduced diet and isolated habitation, along with internal austerities such as expiation, reverence, service, renunciation and meditation, according to Umaswati, along with respectful service to teachers and ailing ascetics help shed karma.[28]
The state of liberation is presented in Chapter 10 by Umaswati.[29][30] It is achieved when deluding and obstructive karmas have been destroyed.[29][30] This leads to the state of quietism and potentiality, and the soul then moves to the end of the universe, states Umaswati.[30]
The Tattvartha Sutra is regarded as one of the earliest, most authoritative book onJainism, and the only text authoritative in both theDigambara andŚvētāmbara sects,[13] and its importance in Jainism is comparable with that of theBrahma Sutras andYoga Sutras of Patanjali inHinduism.[31][32]
TheTattvartha Sutra has the largest number of Jainabhashyas or commentaries in different Indian languages from the fifth century onward. There are over twenty-five commentaries and translations ofTattvartha Sutra,[10] including those by:[33]
Śvetāmbaras believe that Umasvati himself wroteSvopajña Bhāṣya, a commentary on the text.[33] In turn,Svopajña Bhāṣya Ṭīkā is a commentary bySiddhasenagaṇi on theSvopajña Bhāṣya. The next oldest and the most famous commentary on theTattvārthasūtra isSarvārthasiddhi of ĀcāryaPujyapada[34][14] (sixth century CE).Sarvārthasiddhi (a commentary on theTattvartha Sutra written byPūjyapāda Devanandi), along withAkalanka'sc. 780 CERajavartika and Vijayananda'sSlokavarttika (9th century), form the central texts of Digambara monastic students.[8]
The text is insutra form. The wordSutra (Sanskrit:सूत्र) means "string, thread".[35] The root of the word issiv, that which sews and holds things together.[36][37] In the context of Indian literature,Sutra means a distilled collection of syllables and words, any form or manual of "aphorism, rule, direction" hanging together like threads with which the "teachings of ritual, philosophy, grammar or any field of knowledge" can be woven.[36][35]
The distilled nature of sutra texts leave them open to varying interpretations. The Tattvartha sutra have been variously translated. The first verse ofTattvartha Sutra has been translated as follows, for example:
"The enlighteneddarsana (world view), enlightened knowledge and enlightened conduct are the path to liberation" – Translated by Nathmal Tatia[38]
"Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct constitute the path to liberation" – Translated by Vijay Jain[16]— Umaswati,Tattvartha Sutra 1.1
The text has been translated into many languages including English and German, latest being English translation in 1993.[10]
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.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
FourteenPurvas (The Prior Knowledge –considered totally lost) | ||||||||||||||||
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†Tattvartha Sutra is accepted by both Digambara and Śvetāmbara as their texts, although Śvetāmbaras do not include it under canonical texts. | ||||||||||||||||
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