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Nandi Sootra
The placental beings with fully developed mind, the aupapatic beings (gods), and the hell beings come in this class. Their knowledge is called sanjni shrut.
The beings that do not have this capacity are called asanjni (non-sentient) beings. Sammoorchim five sensed beings, and four, three, and two sensed beings come in this class. The beings with manah-paryapti (fully developed mind) have enough mano labdhi (mental capacity) to absorb information and knowledge with clarity. With the decline in level this clarity gradually reduces. At the lowest level are the one sensed beings that have the minimum clarity. Their knowledge is called asanjni shrut.
Hetu upadesh - With this view point a sanjni (sentient) being is that who understands the cause and accordingly decides to indulge or not in any activity. It goes towards benefits and away from harm. These beings include house fly, mosquitoes, etc. the movements of whom are dependent on factors like day and night, sun or shade, availability and non-availability of food, and pleasure and pain. Fromthis angle they all fall under the category of sanjni (sentient) beings. Their knowledge is sanjni shrut.
All those beings whose indulgence and non indulgence is not dependent on benefits and harms are asanjni (non-sentient) beings. Their knowledge is called asanjni shrut.
Drishtivad upadesh - Drishti means perception. A being which has right perception is called a sanjni (sentient) being. In other words - who has the knowledge of kshayopasham; or who properly knows about what is good or bad for the soul, is a sanjni (sentient) being. Only such sanjni (sentient) being tries to refrain from feelings of attachment and aversion that are harmful for the soul and proceeds to acquire the benefit in the form of liberation.
That which does not properly know and understand good and bad, in context of soul is asanjni (non-sentient) being. Such asanjni (non-sentient) being is mithyadrishti (having false perception or belief). He considers beneficial what is actually harmful for the soul and instead of refraining, continues to indulge in that. Thereby he continues to move away from the path of liberation.
When we look at all these alternatives together we find that in drishtivad upadesh, only those beings are included who have acquired samyaktva. In kaliki upadesh those beings are included who have the potential to head towards samyaktva. Those who are just mithyadrishti are included in hetu upadesh. This means that besides the immobile beings all other beings are sanjnt (sentient). Thus shrut or knowledge exists in all prani (two, three, four sensed beings), bhoot (organisms), jiva (five sensed beings), and sattva (entities) irrespective of their being asanjni (non-sentient).
(a) SAMYAK SHRUT [134] MEANING -Question - What is this samyak shrut?
Answer - The box of knowledge comprising of the twelve Angas; propagated by Arhat Bhagavans, the possessors of the directly acquired knowledge and perception, profoundly revered and devoutly saluted by the beings of three worlds, the all seeing and all knowing omniscients who know past, present, and future; is called samyak shrut. The Angas are - Acharang, Sutrakritang, Sthanang, Samvayang, Vyakhya Prajnapti, Jnatadharmakathang, Upasakdashang, Antkrutdashang, Anuttaraupapatik dashang, Prashna Vyakaran, Vipak Shrut, and Drishtivad. These twelve Angas are the samyak shrut of the knowers of the fourteen Aagam-44 -Nandi Sootra
~114 Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
