This article was published in June 1948 in The Jaina Gazette (Volume XLV, No. 6, pp. 57-58).
Faith, Knowledge and Conduct - Umaswati's Tattvarthadhigama Sutra
Umaswati, a scholar-saint who flourished in the 2nd century composed a sacred book and named it Tattvarthadhigama Sutra. The name means a treatise on the essential principles. The book is a collection of aphorisms (Sutras). An aphorism is a highly condensed expression. The whole book consists of 357 Sutras in Sanskrit language, divided into 10 chapters with 33, 35, 39, 42,42, 27, 39, 26,47 and 9 Sutras respectively. The first Sutra of the 1st Chapter is “Right Belief, Knowledge and Conduct constitute the Path of Liberation”. The other 32 Sutras define Right Belief, Knowledge and Conduct, the seven essential substances or Realities and the various kinds of right and wrong knowledge.
Chapter 2 deals with the living substance, Jiva, Life or Soul. Chapter 3 discusses the various forms which Life assumes hellish, human and subhuman, while Chapter 4 is devoted to the description of Life in celestial regions. Chapter 5 deals with Ajiva, non-soul, matter and its atomic and molecular forms and attributes. A scientific treatise called “Cosmology Old and New” has been recently written, explaining each of the 42 aphorisms in this Chapter by Prof. G. R. Jain.
Chapter 6 and 7 deal with the Inflow of Karmic matter into the Soul; Chapter 8 treats of the bondage of Karmic matter with the Soul, while Chapter 9 treats of its Stoppage and Shedding. Chapter 10 describes Liberation and the condition of eternal perfection attained by the Soul.
The book is revered by all sects of the Jain Community. The whole of Jain Philosophy is taught in it. There is no Jain doctrine or dogma which is not expressed or implied in these aphorisms. It is verily a sacred epitome of Jainism. In short, the book treats of the Sciences of Metaphysics, Psychology, Mineralogy, Physics, Chemistry Zoology, Botany, Physiology, Anatomy, Theology, Embryology, Geology, Geography, Anthropology and Ethics. It is rightly called the Bible of Jainism by the Late Judge j. L. Jaini.
An idea of the condensed nature of the Sutras may be formed from the fact that commentaries in Sanskrit called Sarvartha Siddhi by Pujyapada, a highly learned saint scholar, another called Tattvartha-raj-vartik by Bhatta-Akalanka-Deva consisting of 16,000 Slokas, another called Tattvartha-sloka-vartik comprising 20,000 Slokas by Swami Vidyanandi, another Gandha-Hasti-Mahabhashya consisting of 80,000 slokas and another Shruta-Sagari by Acharya Shrutasagar and about 25 other commentaries have been written on it.
The late Mr. J.L. Jaini, sometime Chief Justice of the Indore High Court translated the book with exhaustive commentaries in English. This English commentary was published by Kumar Devendra Prasad of Ara in 1920. This book is but of stock and out of print.
Right belief, is a firm unshakable conviction in the essential principles, which are true for all ages, for all times and for all countries. These articles of belief are few and simple; and may be summarised as below:
- The Universe is eternal. It has had no beginning and shall have no end, although there is a constant change going on in every substance consisting it.
- The two principal substances comprising the universe are life and No-life. Both these are eternal in essence and infinite in number and quantity.
- Life is non-material. It has no form nor can it be cognised by any of the five senses or mind or through any instrument howsoever fine and delicate. The positive attributes of Life are Knowledge Absolute, infinite and unlimited; Consciousness, Awareness, Joy everlasting and unbounded, Almightiness, Intangibility or Fineness of such a degree that it can pass through every other substance; the quality of allowing every other substance to pass-through it, and perfect equality with other Lives. These are the attributes of Pure Perfect Jiva, Life, Soul, Spirit, absolutely and eternally free from contact with matter of any sort or kind.
- Matter which is Lifeless and inert abounds on all sides around us. It is infinite, inexhaustible, imperishable. It is ever changing in form but is constant in its attributes.
- Matter and Soul in combination are visible, in infinite number. Each one of such mundane souls in combination with Matter has its own individuality; and is independent of.every other substance. It further possesses the potentiality of freeing itself from contact with matter, through its own exertion, without the help of any intermediary or Superior power. It is self-evolutionary.
A detailed knowledge of the reasons, arguments, theories, deductions, inductions, inferences, corollaries, supporting and strengthening the above beliefs constitute Right Knowledge.
Conduct based upon and following Right Belief is Right Conduct. Right Belief,. Right Knowledge and Right Conduct constitute the three jewels, ratnatraya, of the Jain Philosophy.