Parikshamukham

SR No.: 004085
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Saratchandra Ghoshal
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 1940
Total Pages: 362
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 7 MB

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The Sacred Books of the Jainas We have already mentioned that according to the Jain doctrine, knowledge is of five kinds : (1) Mati ( knowledge derived through the senses including the knowledge which arises from the activity of the mind ), (2) Śruta ( knowledge derived through symbols or signs e. g. words, gestures etc. ), (3) Avadhi ( psychic knowledge which the soul acquires without the help of any sense ), (4) Manaḥparyaya ( knowledge of thoughts of others ) and (5) Kevala ( omniscience ). There are false knowledges of Mati, Sruta and Avadbi which make up a total of eight kinds of knowledge recognised in Jainism. We have seen that in Tattvārtha Sūtra, Mati and Sruta Jñāna have been described as Paroksa Pramāṇas and Avadhi, Manahparyaya and Kevala as Pratyaksa Pramāṇas. The distinction between Pratyakşa and Parokşa' according to Tattvārtha Sūtra is that in the former the soul gets a clear knowledge of an object without depending upon any other knowledge while in the latter, the cognition is not clear by itself but has to depend upon some other kind of knowledge. We have already given an example of this dependance when, to have a knowledge of fire by seeing smoke, we have to depend on the knowledge of smoke and then infer the existence of fire.
But later writers like Jain logicians have laid down that Mati and Śruta Jñāna are Sānvyavahārika Pratyakşas and Avadhi, Manaḥparyaya and Kevala are Pāramārthika or Mukhya Pratyakşa. Brahmadeva in his commentary on Dravya-samgraha tries to reconcile this contradiction in the following manner. First he raises the question : “The disciple asks 'In Tattvārtha Sūtra, Mati and Śruta have been described as Parokșa in the aphorism Adye अक्षाश्रितत्वं हि प्रत्यक्षशब्दस्य व्युत्पत्तिनिमित्तं, गतिक्रियेव गोशब्दस्य, प्रवृत्तिनिमित्तं त्वेकार्थसमवायिनाऽक्षाश्रितत्वेनोपलक्षितमर्थसाक्षात्कारत्वं गतिक्रिययोपलक्षितं गोत्वमिव गोशब्दस्य। अन्यद्धि शब्दस्य व्युत्पत्तिनिमित्तं, अन्यच्च प्रवृत्तिनिमित्तम् । इतरथा गच्छन्नेव गौगौरिति व्यपदिश्येत नापरो व्युत्पत्तिनिमित्ताभावात् । जात्यन्तरविशिष्टं हि तुरगादिकं गति-क्रियापरिणतं व्युत्पत्तिनिमित्तसद्भावात् गोशब्दाभिधेयं Fara 1" Syādvādaratnākara, II. 1.