|
According to a pattavalli given in an inscription of 1163 AD at Sravana Belgola,
Umasvati's disciple was Balakapiccha, and his disciple was Samantabhadra. He is
also styled 'Svami' and referred to with reverence by later acharyas. Digambaras
place the period in which he flourished as between AD 120 and 185.
Samantabhadra was definitely a Digambara. He wrote among other books, a
commentary of Umasvami's Tattvartha DhigamaSutra. The main part of the
commentary is no longer extant but the introductory part of the commentary
exists. It is known as Devagama -Sutra or Aptamimansa. The Jain philosophy of
Syadvada was, perhaps for the first time, fully explained in this book. The work
was therefore, discussed by non-Jain philosophers such as Kumarila (8th / 9th
centuries ) and Vachaspatimishra respectively. Few Jain authors except Samantabhadra and Akalanka have been found worthy of such notice by
non-Jain philosophers.
|
