________________ 212 TATTVARTHA SUTRA others. The liberated souls can therefore be classified as Pratyekbodhit or Buddhabodhit Jnan: Knowledge is of five types. Of course, no one can gain liberation without omniscience. Since other types of knowledge like sensory are instrumental in gaining omniscience, it can be said that different souls, having different types of knowledge, have attained liberation. The liberated souls can therefore be classified as having attained it by two or three or four types of knowledge. Avagahana (height): Heights of the people vary from time to time. Jainism conceives of inordinate height of human beings and states that the heights of those, who attain liberation, vary from 7 feet at the minimum to the maximum of 500 bow-length. The liberated souls can therefore be classified in terms of their heights in the last life. In the liberated state they are supposed to retain two/third of the size of their last life. As such, they can also classified in terms of their size in the liberated state. Antar (interval): The order of liberation can be incessant or intermittent. When one being is liberated immediately after another, it is termed as incessant. Jainism measures time in terms of Samay, which is an infinitesimal part of a second. The incessant order of liberation can continue minimum for two Samays and the maximum for eight Samays. When there is an interval between the two consecutive cases of liberation, the order is said to be intermittent. The minimum time of such interval is one Samay and the maximum is of six months. Number: It is laid that at least one and the maximum 108 souls can be liberated in one Samay. It can also be said that Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
