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THE ESSENCE OF JAINA SCRIPTURES
because their perception is bound to corporeal (murta) substances, have sense-organs for eyes. The Devas, because they apprehend corporeal substances characterized by fineness (sukshamatva), have eyes which see the remote; and so they too, because, seeing only coloured substance, they are not distinguished from beings with sense-organs as eyes, have sense-organs for eyes. So then for all these beings moving in samsara and being themselves on the knowable, because they are maimed by infatuation, there could be no possession of eyes seeing everywhere, which is obtainable by realization of the reality of pure self, whereupon depends the basing one's self on knowledge.
So, in order to obtain this, the venerable shramans take the Scripture for eye; and, although, by reason of the mutual blending of the knowable and the knowledge, discrimination between them is impossible, yet, having effected a separation of the self and the other, they break through the great infatuation, and, having reached the highest self, they stand based on knowledge. Therefore those desirous of liberation should see everything with the eye of the Scripture.
Now he explains how with the eye of the Scripture everything is seen:
III.35. All objects together with their various qualities and modifications are established [known] by the Scripture; seeing [i.e. comprehending) by Scripture, the shramanas know them all. (235)
Now through the Scripture all substances are trustworthily known (pramiyante); for all the substances are free from contradiction by any argumentation.
And they are known as characterized (vishishta) by their various qualities and modifications; for the Scripture, as it consists of the many-sided-view (anekanta), which penetrates the several properties simultaneously or successively arising, can possess the character of a trustworthy means of knowledge.
Therefore, all objects are established by the Scripture. And, evolving by way of becoming the psychic-attention of study-knowledge (shruta-jnana), which consists in the many-sided-view (anekanta), pervading all substance, characterized by their various qualities and modifications, they become of themselves knowable to the shramanas. Therefore to those who have the eye of Scripture nothing can be imperceptible.
Now he shows that the road to liberation is nothing but the simultaneity of Scripture-knowledge, the consequent conviction
