ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 326

2.3.1
Types of rutaj na:
Verbal testimony can be classified in many ways and accordingly is of many types e.g.
• Based on the state of owner or rutaj na (Dravya ruta & Bh va ruta)
Based on the determining cause of rutaj na
Form / representation ruta is classified in two categories namely material scripture (Dravya ruta) and psychic scripture (Bh va ruta). Sermons of omniscient composed as Dv da ga by ga dharas is Dravya ruta while the knowledge acquired by their listener or reader is called Bh va ruta. However from the perspective of the listener, it is with a beginning and end (reasons subsidence cum destruction mode is temporary.
As verbal testimony is preceded by sensual perception, it can be classified as, verbal (through words heard or read) and inference (e.g. seeing smoke to know the existence of fire).
Since the subjects of the five sense organs are touch, taste, smell, sound and form; rutaj na can accordingly be classified as Ak ara (i.e. which can be represented by words /syllables, signs etc) and Anak ara (which cannot be so represented by alphabets, words, syllables, forms etc (e.g. smell, taste, touch etc.). Sa j -ak ara is the indicated meaning assigned to a syllable as per its form, size etc. as the same is always conveyed by that syllable. Vya janaak ara is the pronunciation or spoken form of syllables. Dhaval talks of 64 syllables (33-consonants, 27- vowels, 4auyogavaha for a total of 64). Their different permutations and combinations give words (padas), which are countless. Labdhya-ak ara is the subsidence cum destruction of rutaj navar iya karmas and subsequent use of rutaj na. It is the facility by which mind and senses are able to cognize the syllables (ak ara). Saj and Vya jana are both dravya
ruta while labdhya-ak ara is bh va- ruta. Labdhya-ak ara is possessed by only those persons who are competent to learn alphabets / syllables and is possible through all the five senses. Anak ara, like inhaling, exhaling, thunder etc. is actual material scripture, are not written or spoken like syllable and is the cause of rutaj na. Living beings without mind i.e. with 1 to 4 senses and without mind have this type of rutaj na, that originates without the use or effort of speech faculty.
The sa j ij na is considered in three ways; in as much as there are three varieties of Saj (cognitional activities) namely: iv. Discursive thinking that takes in accounts the past, present and future (k liki):
Consciousness that discriminates between what is to be avoided and what is to be adopted for life but
cannot think of past and future (hetupade iki) vi. Consciousness due to the knowledge of right scriptures. (d iv dopade iki)
V.
Saj in gamas mean the mental faculty of living beings (instincts) enabling their owner to decide the involvement in good and leaving the bad. Every living being has ten instincts like instincts for hunger, fear, sex, attraction, possessions etc. Nandi sutra uses k liki and no-indri interchangeably for mind. It is said to be the highest level of mental faculty and assigns six activities for it namely h (discrimination), apoha (exclusion), vimar a (enquiry), m rga (searching). gave a (fathoming) and cint (discursive thought). Hetupde iki is the lower level of Sa j and is generally concerning present tense only. Living beings with it are generally using the faculty to accept right food and avoid wrong acts/ foods. D iv dopade iki is based on attitude and / or vision. According to this, the person who has the right attitude (samyak-d i) is Sa j i and a person with wrong attitude is asa j i. This state of mental development is due to subsidence cum destruction of mithy tva-mohniya and rutaj navar iya karmas. Activation of mithy tvamohniya and subsidence cum destruction of rutaj navar iya karmas results in asa j i- ruta. Asa j i are not able to indulge in right and avoid wrong activities. However it does not mean that they don't have the instincts at all but they have little traces of them only.
V.
Kund Kund says that it is of four kinds namely:
labdhi or association i.e. capability to understand an object represented by a word. vi. bh van or attention: To contemplate on an already known object repeatedly for deeper
understanding. vii. upayoga or understanding: To derive knowledge from cognition e.g. this is red and that is blue etc. viii. naya or viewpoint: To understand the meaning conveyed by word with a specific angle/viewpoint.
This classification of rutaj na is very important to understand the process of acquiring it. Labdhi corresponds to association of ideas (i.e. process of getting the meaning of one idea through its associated ideas); Bh v na is direction of one in idea with a view to get at the associated idea; upayoga is the process of understanding the meaning of idea consequent upon bh vn and naya is viewing the meaning from different relations. The first three are concerned with
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0