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NandiSootra
The specific end being defined by the directional prefix such as front, rear, or flank-. The central avadhi-jnana is produced at the central segment of the soul-bits. Another meaning of 'ant' is the state of completion. In this context the knowledge of everything existing up to the end of a specific direction is known as the antagat avadhi-jnana related to that direction.
The ultimate level of this is the madhyagat avadhi-jnana which encompasses the knowledge of all things existing up to the ends of all directions. This reveals the strange consequences of the levels of kshayopasham.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF ANTAGAT AND MADHYAGAT
Question What specific differences are there between the peripheral and central Avadhi-jnana?
Answer - With the help of Puratah Antagat (front-peripheral) Avadhi-jnana the knower (scholar) observes in general and understands in particular all physical objectsexisting in an area extending to countable or uncountable yojans in front of
him.
With the help of Margatah Antagat (rear-peripheral) Avadhi-jnana the knower(scholar) - observes in general and understands in particular all physical objects existing in an area extending to countable or uncountable yojans at his back.
With the help of Parshvatah Antagat (flank-peripheral) Avadhi-jnana the knower (scholar) observes in general and understands in particular all physical objects existing in an area extending to countable or uncountable yojans at his flanks.
With the help of Madhyagat (central) Avadhi-jnana the knower (scholar) observes and understands through all atmapradeshas (soul-bits) all physical objects existing in an area extending to countable or uncountable yojans in all spatial directions (toward cardinal and intermediate points of the compass).
This concludes the description of the attributes of Anugamik Avadhi-jnana.
The Antagat Avadhi jnana is limited and the Madhyagat is unlimited. The Gods, the hell beings and the Tirthankars as a rule naturally acquire Madhyagat Avadht-jnana. The beings of the animal world have scope of acquiring only Antagat Avadhi-inana. But human beings have a possibility of acquiring both types of Anugamik Avadhi-jnana.
The use of the terms countable and uncountable yojans indicates that in context of the area covered there may be many levels of Avadht-jnana. For example-the beings of the Ratnaprabha Hell have Avadhi-jnana covering a minimum area of three and a half yojans and a maximum area of four yojans; similarly the Avadhi-jnana of the gods of the Saudharma Ka1p covers a minimum area of an infinitesimal part of an angul (the width of a human finger) and a maximum area extending up to the end of the Ratnaprabha Hell.
ANANUGAMIK AVADHI-INANA
[063] MEANING -Question - What is this Ananugamik Avadhi-jnana?
Answer - Ananugamik Avadhi-jnana is as if a person prepares a large area and burns a fire there and in the light of this fire moves around and sees the illuminated area as far as the reach of his eyes and nothing beyond. Thus Ananugamik
Avadhi jnana is effective only in the area where it has been acquired and whiles the person is in that area he sees and knows the physical objects, related or Aagam- 44 -NandiSootra Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
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