Tattvartha Sutra

SR No.: 006796
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sukhlal Sanghavi, K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 596
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Tattvartha Sutra, & Tattvarth
File Size: 10 MB

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what is present it, in accordance with the power of the senseorgans and the capacity of the soul concerned, cognizes several of the present modes of the substances; on the other hand, since śruta-jñāna grasps what might be present, past or future it cognizes several of such modes as might be present, past or future.
TATTVARTHA SUTRA
Question: Mati-jñāna is produced through the instrumentality of the sense-organs like eye etc. while these senseorgans are capable of grasping only the tangible substances. How then is it that all substances whatsoever are declared to be a possible object of mati-jñāna ?
Answer: Mati-jñāna is produced through the instrumentality of manas also-just as it is produced through that of the sense-organs. And one's manas can think of all the substances whether perceived by oneself or learnt by one from the scriptural texts, whether tangible or otherwise. Hence keeping in view matijñāna that is produced by manas one finds no difficulty about declaring that all substances whatsoever are a possible object of mati-jñāna.
Question: But then in relation to the objects perceived by oneself or learnt by one from the scriptural texts one's manas will produce mati-jñāna as well as śruta-jñāna. So what will distinguish the two?
Answer: When thinking on the part of manas is accompanied by an employment of words the result is śruta-jñāna; when it is not so accompanied the result is mati-jñāna.
Even paramāvadhi-jñāna—which is avadhi-jñāna of the supreme type and can even cognize asankhyāta such material particles as are situated in aloka and are collectively equivalent to loka in size-can perceive only tangible substances, not the intangible ones. Similarly, even of these tangible substances it cannot perceive all the modes.
Manaḥ-paryāya-jñāna too perceives only tangible substances but not as many of them as does avadhi-jñāna. For while avadhijñāna can grasp all the material substances manaḥparyaya can