वाचक उमास्वाति प्रणीत तत्त्वार्थाधिगम् सूत्राणि- Vacaka Umasvati's Tattvarthadhigama Sutrani (Aphorisms for Comprehension of Jaina Fundamentals)

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Foreword The development of any religious philosophy and ethics - its precepts and practices - depends on its fundamentals. The study of fundamentals is, therefore, inescapable for anyone desirous of studying any religious philosophy.

Tattvärthasutra by Vacaka Umasvati is a unique compendium that presents all Jaina fundamentals in one volume in the form of precise and crisp aphorisms. Its study is inescable for a student of Jaina philosophy. Its value is all the more pronounced as it is accepted as an authoritative text by both - Svetambara and Digambara - traditions of the Jainas.

Introduction The study of any religious philosophy can never commence without knowing about the fundamental foundation-stones on which its magnificent edifice stands. When we talk about Jainism, we talk about its fundamentals to start with. Before Umasvati these fundamentals were scattered amongst twelve primary canons, an equal number of secondary ones and a number of tertiary and subsequent canonical works that came about over time. It was an arduous task for any student of Jainism to find them from a maze of scriptures. Only the very studious ones could succeed in their endeavour. Umäsväti must have felt this and he, surely, was imbued with a missionary spirit and the intellectual equipment to undertake the task of compiling a work of monumental magnitude and import to facilitate the study of this most essential part. What materialized from his pen and genius is this work of utmost gravity and importance Tattvärtha- dhigama Sutrani or 'A Collection Of Aphorisms For The Comprehension Of Fundamental Verities'.