Book Title: Anekantavada
Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Sabha

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Page 5
________________ Omniscience ( pakar ) further declares that the soul in its pure condition is capable of knowing everything in the Universe. In a sense the Jaina epistemology is a consequence of its metaphysics which is frankly pluralistic. Unlike Sankara's monism, it accepts the independent reality of the external world. Knowledge is a relation between the knower and the object known. It is possible that the mind may have before it more than one aspect of the given object. And quite legitimately it can construct a fabrio of knowledge based on the perception of a particular aspect. But this will give us only one view of reality. It is at the most partial knowledge ( 9–12a ). If this partial knowledge usurps the place of full and com. plete knowledge, it is guilty of committing, what is called in western metaphysics the fallacy of exclusive predication. The Jaina philosophy very rightly declares that reality is many-faced ( Spaiawfca* ard). Human knowledge at its best is after all partial knowledge and who can say that it is free from error and illusion ? Anekanta-vada or the Jaina theory of knowledge olearly recognises this fact. The use of 'Syat' in Saptabhangi is a reminder of that faot. Another interesting feature of Jaina theory Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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