Jain Journal 1999 10

SR No.: 520136
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 4 MB

Page 9

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JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXIV. No. 2 October 1999 attentions, co-ordinations to the subject and object are accounted as the manifestation of that consciousness. 12
Application, attention, and coordination are different forms of cognition; and it is of two types-a) Nirākāra (Inarticulate) and b) Sākāra (Articulate). Nirākāra precedes the sense perception as well as the supersensous perception or intuition. It has also taken as an attitude or dṛṣṭi. The sākāra gets the designation of jñāna and ajñāna according to the faith of the knower. But during the time passes and the development of thoughts the term jñāna has also applied to a general sense. In Indian system of thoughts jñāna may be true or false or both.
The English word knowledge has several meanings, viz. understanding, acquaintance, familarity, learning, information, intelligence, intellect, mental apprehension, sign, mark, etc. 13 As we know that knowledge is being applied as an English translation of Jñana too, and in view of Indian thinkers jñāna implies an idea of truth within itself. This sort of thoughts had kept honoured for a very long time, but the concept of that value of knowledge has changed and the credit has gone to the logical discoursing period. It is supposed that now the meaning of knowledge and jñāna are not identical.
Knowledge in its general sense ever recognised as a righteous cognition, whereas jñāna includes right and wrong both types of apprehensions. 14 Ajñāna, nodoubt a wrong cognition, but it is also taken as a kind of jñāna. Ajñāna may be applied in four senses as follows:
1. Ajñāna means wrong knowledge: The cognition which does not correspond to the object.
2. Ajñāna means perverted knowledge: Wrong attitude towards the object so that perversion does not mean wrong apprehension.
3. Ajñāna means avidyā: Knowledge of false projection due to obscurance of power of real perception.
4. Ajñāna means absence of knowledge: The absence of knowledge happens due to (a) absence of power of knowing and (b) absence of application of cognition.
12. Tattavarthbhāsyaṭikā (Siddhesena Ganin) II, 8.
13. C.T. Onions: The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Vol. I, Oxford University Press, 3rd Edn. 1973 p. 1102.
14. Dr. Indracandra Shastri Jain Epistemology, P.V. Research Institute, Varanas 1990, pp. 56. 461.