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[172] In the beginning of the Prajñāpanā Sūtra and the Pācārāṅga Sūtra, the term 'saṁjñā' is used in the context of knowledge of past lives, meaning a specific type of matigñāna. Similarly, in the Daśāśruta Skandha, where the ten citta-samādhi-sthānas are described, the term 'saṁjñā' is used in the sense of remembering one's past births. This suggests that the term 'saṁjñā' was first used in the specific sense of matigñāna, and over time it came to be used in the sense of remembering past experiences or jāti-smaraṇa-jñāna. Whatever the case may be, the term 'saṁjñā' refers to a specific type of matigñāna, whether it is in the form of saṁjñā-saṁketa-śabda or in the form of a sign. Remembering is essential for knowledge to arise. In the Sthānāṅga Sūtra, we also find the phrase "ega saṇṇā". Therefore, there was certainly a specific knowledge known as 'saṁjñā' in ancient times. In the Āvaśyaka Niyukti, saṁjñā is also called abhinibodha (matigñāna). In the 'Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama', there is a saṁjñī-dvāra in the Mārgaṇādvāra of the मूल. However, the actual meaning of 'saṁjñā' is not explained there. While describing saṁjñī and pra-saṁjñī, it is stated that beings from the mithyā-dṛṣṭi-guṇasthāna to the kṣīṇa-kaṣāya-vītarāga-chhadmastha guṇasthāna are saṁjñī, and beings from the eka-indriya to the pañc-endriya are asaṁjñī. It is also stated that saṁjñī arises from kṣaya-upaśamika-labdhi, asaṁjñī from audayika-bhāva, and na-saṁjñī, na-asaṁjñī from kṣayika-labdhi. In explaining this, the 'Dhavala' gives two interpretations of the term 'saṁjñī', which are worth considering: samyag jānāti iti saṁjñā = manaḥ, tadasyāsti iti saṁjñī / naika-indriyādina ati-prasangaḥ, tasya manaso bhāvāt / athavā śikṣā-kriyā-upadeśa-ālāpa-grāhi saṁjñī / uktam ca _ 'sikkhā-kiriyuva-deśa-ālāva-vaggāhi maṇo-valambena' / jo jīvo so saṇṇī, tasvi-vīrido asaṇṇī du॥ Even in this second interpretation, the dependence on the mind is accepted. There is no difference in the meaning. In the Tattvārtha Sūtra, it is stated that "saṁjñinaḥ samanaskāḥ" (saṁjñī beings are those who have a mind), and the commentary explains that the term 'saṁjñī' here refers to those beings who have sampradhāna-saṁjñā. The characteristic of sampradhāna-saṁjñā is described as īhā-poha-yukta guṇa-doṣa-vicāraṇātmikā sampra 1. (a) 'matiḥ smṛtiḥ saṁjñā cintā....ityanarthāntaram / ' -Tattvārtha. (b) Viśeṣāvaśyaka Gā. 12, Patra 394 (c) ihamegeśi jo saṇṇā bhavaī, taṁ.pūra-sthimāyo vā disāno āgo prahaṁsi ityādi. -Prācārāṁ śru. 1 Sū. 1 2. 'saṇiṇāṇam vā se asamu-pananna-pubve samupajjejjā, appaṇo porāṇiyam jāī sumarittae -Daśāśruta Skandha Daśā 5 3. (a) Paṇṇavaṇā Sutta Bhāga 2 (Pariśiṣṭa Prastāvanātmika), 5. 142 (b) Sthānāṅga Sūtra Sthā. 1, Sū. 29-32, (c) Prāṇaśyaka Niyukti Mā. 12, Viśeṣāvaśyaka Gā. 394 4. (a) Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama, Mūla Pu. 1, Pṛ. 408 (b) Vahi, Pustaka 7, Pṛ. 111-112, (c) Dhavala, Pu. 1, Pṛ. 152 /