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Chapter Four OMNISCIENCE:MISCONCEPTION AND
CLARIFICATION (1) Meaning of the Term
There is a striking parallel between 'Omniscient and 'Sarvajña' because the Latin 'Omnis'l corresponds to the Samskrt 'sarva'. Even in ancient Indian languages like Saṁskṛt, Pāli, Prā krt, etc. there are many equivalents of the term 'Sarvajña', but the most commonly used term is 'Sarvajña' itself. The etymological meaning of Sarvajña is governed by a particular rule according to which the affix 'ka' comes after a verbal root that ends in long a, when there is no perfix preceding it and when the object is in composition with it (ato-anupsarge kah ).3 As the Pali4 and Prakrta grammars 1. Lewis, c. T. & Short, c. (ed.): A Latin Dictionary
( Oxford Clarendon Press, 1879 rev. 1927), p. 1265. 2. Vacaspatyam (ed.), T. Bhattacharya (Varanasi Chow
khamba Saṁskřt Series, 1962, 8 vols. ), Vol. VI, p. 5208 gives its different meanings; Sabda Kalpadrumaḥ (ed.), R. K. Deva (Delhi : Moti Lal Banarasidas, 1961, 5 vols. ), Vol. 5, p. 303; Āpte's Practical Samskrt Dictionary (ed.) P. K. Gode & G. C. Karve (Poona : Prasad Prakashan, 1959), Part III, p. 1656 agree with Vācaspatyam; Monier & Moneir Williams (A Samskệt English Dictionary, Oxford Clarendon Press, New ed., 1956, p. 1185 ) gives 30 references chosen from the varied fields of Saṁskệt
literature. 3. Pāņini, Aşçādhyayı (ed.) S. C. Vasu ( Allahabad : Papini
Office, 1887 ), III. 2. 3. 4. Rhys Davids, T. W., Stede, W. : Pali-English Dictionary
(Surrey, Pali Text Society, 1921 ), pp. 139-140; Pali Maha vyakarana ( ed.), J. Kashyapa ( Sarnath; Mahabodhi
Society, 1940), p. 2. 5. Suri, V. R. ( ed.): Abhidhăn Rajendraḥ ( Ahmedabad :
R.J, S. Singh, 1925), Vol. 7, p. 567,
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