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Knowledge In Jainism : An Overview
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action. These four types of buddhis are mentioned in the Nandisūtra with examples (sūtra 48-52) and in the Sthānāngasūtra(4.4) by names. This division of aśrutanisrita is not available in Digambara tradition. In Śvetāmbara tradition this division is not found in the Bhagavatī, Prajñāpanā, Āvaśyaka niryukti and Anuyogadvāra sūtra.
Śrutaniśrita matijnāna is of four kinds- (i) Avagraha (ii) īhā (iii) avāya and (iv) dhāranā. These four types of matijñāna are actually the four stages which occur in a certain order and have a significant value in the theory of knowledge in Indian System.
Avagraha is a non-specific cognition of mere existence of an object, Ihā is a further step in which the knowledge is inclined towards ascertainment of that object. It is different from doubt because during the doubt, knowledge hangs towards two things while in Ihā the knowledge is inclined towards one of them. 'Avāya' is the ascertained knowledge of the object. Dhāraṇā is retention or impression of the judgement which becomes the cause of memory. In the Nandisūtra, commentaries of the Tattvārtha sūtra and in the Viśeşāvaśyakabhāşya of Jinabhadraganin a detailed account of these four stages of matijñāna is available.
Here, it will be an important note that these stages may be helpful in strengthening the learning process of human being. The things which we want to recall, the learning process of them should go upto dhāraṇā (retention) stage. Dhāraṇā is the cause of memory. In this way study and application of these four stages namely avagraha, īhā, avāya and dhāraṇā might
