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THE JAINA DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION
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4. regularity of time (kala), 5. humble attitude (vinaya), 6. propriety of behaviour (sopadhāna), 7. zeal (bahumāna), 8. without concealment of knowledge (aninhava). 47 KEVALAJNĀNA
Kevalajñāna is the knowledge par excellence. It completely illumines all the substances with all their aspects.98 Umāsvāti states that omniscience extends to all entities with all their modifications simultaneously (sarvadravyaparyāyeșu kevalasya).18 It is described as perfect (paripūrņa), complete (samagra), unique (asādhāraṇa), absolute (nirapeksa), pure (viśuddha), all comprehensive (sarvabhāva-jñāpaka), enlightening the physical world and the world beyond (lokālokavişaya), and unlimited or infinite.50 It is self-dependent, without any limitation of time and space. It is not even conditioned by the objects of knowledge and there is no diversity for him who has acquired this knowledge
The attainment of kevalajñāna is possible only to the highest spiritual jīvas who have completely annihilated four destructive karmas namely jñānāvaraṇīya, darśanāvaraṇīya, mohanīya and antarāya.51 The self illumines like the sun and nothing remains hidden or unknown to him. Thus the destruction of four ghāti ya karmas is the cause of perfect knowledge. M.L. Mehta states :
"Just as heat is subject to varying degrees and consequently reaches the highest limit, so also congnition which is subject to progressive development owing to the varying degrees of destruction of the obscuring veil, reaches the highest limit, i.e. omniscience when the hindrance of the obscuring karma is totally annihilated.”52
The Acārāmgasūtra states that he who knows one, knows all, and he who knows all, knows one.53 It means kevalajñana of one object is the kevalajñāna of all other objects. All the oniniscient beings
47.
48. 49. 50. 51.
Puruşārthasiddhyupāya, 36; Dravyasamgraha, 42. Bhagavatisūtra, tr. by Lalwani (5. 49), p. 159 Tattvārthasutra, I. 29. Ibid., 1. 29, bhāşya. Tattvārthasütra, X.1; Uttaradhyayanasūtra, XXIX.71; Sthanamgasūtra, III. 4.226 M.L. Mehta, Outlines of Jaina Philosophy, p. 100. Acārāmgasūtra, I. 3-4
52, 53.
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