ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 84

The main adjectives or characteristics of Arihantas are:
INTERNATIO
SCHOOL
OF
to differentiate them from celestial beings that are also termed as gods but they are not omniscient.
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY
Farenga
5 Pravacanasära by Kundakunda, verse - 39
IN STUDIES
Vitaraga i.e., totally detached from the worldly things and affairs, free from delusion, illusion, attachment-aversion, all sorts of passions, birth and death and 18 types of blemishes, viz. hunger, thirst etc.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
Omniscient, i.e., perfect knowledge by which the whole of the universe (all substances with their attributes and modifications) and non-universe are reflected/ known.
Apta i.e., true counselor or guide. This adjective has some specialty of its own. One who is wholly detached and omniscient is a kevalī. All kevalīs are not wise counselors or guides and the siddhas have no use of words, so only Tirthamkaras whose divine sermons/ sounds (letter less speech or words) show the true path to liberation to auspicious beings (Bhavya Jivas), are called true Apta: Literally 'Apta' means "He who has attained/achieved worth attaining/achieving".
2.1 Scriptural proof with respect to Omniscience
Defining omniscience, Umāsvami in Tattvärtha-sutra has written the aphorism 'Sarva-dravya paryayeṣù Kevalasya, i.e., the subject of omniscience is 'all the attributes and modifications of three tenses (past, present, and future)' and its owner knows them all simultaneously in one unit of time (samaya) without any instrumentality of senses and mind. In the annotation of this aphorism Pujyapāda in Sarvarthasiddhi says that "the past, present and future modifications of all the substances are infinite and omniscience operates in all these. These are no substances or mass of modifications, which are beyond the all-pervading omniscience. The splendor of omniscience is without any limits". To the nature of omniscience, Kundakunda maintains that "If the unborn modifications of future and the dead ones of the past are not known to the omniscient (sarvajña) omniscient, then who will call this sentience as divine'.5 Amṛtacandra says that "The sequence operated, infinite and wonderful modifications of the past, present and future and the deep and infinite mass of substances are so exquisite to the pure soul as if those substances have been engraved in, painted, entered deep, nailed inside, drowned wholly or merged completely and reflected in
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