Comparative Study of Indian Science

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: C S Mallinath

Page 17

"It might have occured to M. Comte that a fact may be studied through memory not at the very moment of our perceiving it but the moment after; and this is really the way in which our best knowledge of our intellectual acts is generally acquired. We reflect on what we have been doing when the act is past but when its impression in the memory is still fresh."
Against all these agnostic and semi-agnostic theories, the Jainas maintain that the Self is directly knowable. The beautiful argument of Vadi-deva is,-“Admitting that the outside as the Object of Knowledge can be clearly known, who will not admit that like Light, Knowledge itself is self-revealing also ?" This, we think, is a complete answer to the agnosticism of Prabhakara, Kant, Spencer, Mill, Comte and of the Nyaya School. The Self is knowable and that, directly. "It is self-revealing or ‘Svayamprakasa,' as the Vedanta emaintains.
The net conclusion of the Jaina philosophy is hat the Self and the Non-self can both be the objects of valid knowledge.
We have already pointed out that according to the ainas, Jnana or Valid Knowledge is either Pramana or Vaya. Let us study Pramana first.