Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)

by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626

This is Preface (Dr. Chakravarthi Nainar Devakumar) of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara.

Preface (Dr. Chakravarthi Nainar Devakumar)

Precious Contribution from an Authority—Dr. Chakravarthi Nainar Devakumar

As the present volume was nearing completion, I was scouting a scholar with deep knowledge of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ and ‘Sarvārtha-siddhi’, proficient in the Sanskrit as well as the English language and, willing to spend time with me going through the voluminous manuscript. A tall order indeed!

I had known Dr. Chakravarthi Nainar Devakumar for the past couple of years and was aware of his deep interest in the Holy Scripture. Occasionally, we would exchange ideas, over phone, about a few tenets contained in sacred texts including ‘Tattvārthasūtra’, ‘Svayambhūstotra’, ‘Pravacanasāra’, ‘Iṣṭopadeśa’, ‘Ratnakaraṇḍaka-śrāvakacāra’ and ‘Ātmānuśāsana’. His command over the Sanskrit language was evident. His rendering of ‘Tattvārthasūtra’, available in form of audio clips, is flawless; only a veteran Sanskrit scholar could recite ‘Tattvārthasūtra’ with such ease and perfection. His distin-guished educational and professional attainments leave no scope for doubt about his command over the English language.

With hesitation, I asked Dr. Devakumar whether it would be possible for him to visit my home in Dehradun for a few days to help me out with the noble task. He didn’t take a second to accede to my request. And, on the day the proofs were ready, he and his trusted friend, Mr. Arinjaya Jain, graced my home with their pious presence.

During my English translation, I had relied primarily on the Hindi translation by Pandit Phoolchandra Shastri of the original Sanskrit text by Ācārya Pūjyapāda. Dr. Devakumar, however, checked for the correctness of my translation referring only to the original Sanskrit text by Ācārya Pūjyapāda. Reading meticulously and with deep concentration, he could mark major flaws, including typos and infelicities, attributable to my negligence, ignorance and inadequacy.

I would sincerely wish to proclaim and laud Dr. Devakumar’s virtues and also thank him for his committed indulgence in helping me bring out this true-to-the-original treatise but being aware that my well-meant words shall not only fail to meet with his approval but cause him unease, I better stop here.

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