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CHAPTER III
EVOLUTION OF THE JAINA THEORY OF OMNISCIENCE
1.
Classification and Categorisation
(A) Reasons and Motives
The Jaina theory of omniscience is the result of an evolutionary process. Both the inner necessity of the Jaina philosophy ard the influences of socic-cultural conditions have played important role in its development.
I shall first discuss briefly the reasons for the enunciation of the theory of omniscience in Jairism in general and then shall take up its particular motives.
The first and foremost reason for the formulation of the theory of omniscience in Jainism seems to be religious and cultural. Jainism denies toth God and the Vedas, but it is nonetheless a religion. Hence, it needed the Tirtharkaras, who would function as the source of its scripture. The Tirthankaras in order to be reliable (apta) must be omniscient, the knower of the universal principles ( jñātārcm visvatattvānām )i besides being the spiritual guides and the destroyers of the mountain of karmas. Samantabhadra clearly points out that a Tirtharikara like Mahāvīra is accepted as a Tirthcrkara because he is omniscient and not because he possesses super
1 Mangalācarana of Tattvartha Sutra, Com. by Pujyapada. Also see
Āpta-Pariksā of Vidyānanda, verse 3; For discussion see Āpta-Parikṣā (ed.) D. Kothia (Saharānpur, Vira Sevā Mandir, 1949, pp. I-II, Intro.)
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