Epitome of Jainism

SR No.: 006737
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K B Jindal
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 248
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

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Gommatsara, Jiva-kand (Bondage), Samvara (Stoppage), Nirjarâ (Shedding), and Mokşa (Liberation).
There is another way of glancing at the subject. As the six Khandas of one Karma Bhûmi, huge as they are the mere width of our Bharata Ksetra is about 21 lacs of miles with a length of about 5 crores and 81 lacs of miles), are nothing compared with Space or the universe, even so the works and knowledge of Srî Nemichandra, tremendous though they are, are really nothing in comparison with the whole knowledge, possessed by the Kevali Jina, the Omniscient Conqueror of Karmas.
Yet Gommațas ára, Jiva Kanda is a good introduction to the great Tattva, Soul (Jîva). “Know Thyself” has been the precept and practice of all serious searchers after the truth about Soul. Jainism is an uncompromising apotheosis of knowledge. And in a way, in Jainism even Omniscience also is experiential, almost empirical. The Soul in Omniscient Overflow (Kevala Samudghâta) touches the universe.
This Omniscience again is a negation of Noetics. There is no Science or progression in Omniscience. It is just the seeing of the Whole Truth. It is a full and direct manifestation of the Soul. Knowledge is 'ie essence of soul. There is no soul without knowledge. There is no knowledge or knowability without soul. Non-omniscience is merely a result of the soul being obscured by the conation-obscruing, and knowledge-obscuring (Darshanavarņiya and Jnânâvarņîya) Karmas. These being destroyed, Omniscience, the real natural characteristic of the Soul, manifests itself.
There are infinite souls. Each one has infinite attributes and modifications in Space and Time. It is not easy to classify and analyse and describe them. Less than an Omniscient cannot do it. Less than an Omniscient can follow it, only by faith and fragmentarily. Our puny measures of Logic, Science and popular Philosophy are as capable of measuring Omniscience, as our yards and inches are of measuring Space.
There are two ways known to us of having a very rough and remote idea of Omniscience. One is by considering the extent of early Taina Literature which is mostly lost today; and the other and even a better one is by considering the Jaina theory of numbers. Both subjects are of high value, and immense use, and it is best to consider them here.
EARLY JAINA SACRED LITERATURE
The knowledge of Śruti, Śruta-Jõâna, may be of things which are contained in the Angas (Limbs or sacred books of the Jainas) or of things outside the Angas. There are 64 simple letters of the alphabet. Of these 33 are consonants, 27 vowels, and 4 auxiliary (which help in the formation of compound letters). The total number of possible combinations of these 64 simple letters into compounds of 2, 3, 4, or more up to 64 letters is :
264.-1=1,84,46,74,40,73,70,95,51,615.