Jain Journal 1977 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 26

JANUARY, 1977
in number. The God of the Vedic school, on the contrary, is the worldcreator and from "eternity to eternity" is the one ever-free Lord, revealing the Vedas in the early dawn of the cosmic creation.
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The Tirthamkara, otherwise called the 'Arhat' is then the Isvara according to the Jainas who is the author of the Vedas (of course the Jaina scriptures). By admitting in this way the doctrine of the authorship and of the teachership of the Vedas, the Jainas distinguish their view from that the Mimamsakas, according to which, the Vedas are uncreate and self-existent. Regarding the question of the mukti or final emancipation also, the Jaina and the Mimamsa views are difierent. According to the Mimamsakas a good, well-behaved and dutiful man on his death goes to heavens and enjoys the best happiness. Mukti or complete liberation, however, is inattainable. According to the Mimamsaka thinker the samsara or the existential series is not only beginningless but endless also. The Jainas, on the contrary, maintain that save and except the abhavya Jivas (who can never attain the complete emancipation), all souls are capable of attaining liberation. A soul, when liberated, is possessed of kevala-jñāna, which is nothing other than omniscience.
Besides the disembodied perfect Beings who are completely free and are omniscient, according to the Jainas, as stated above, a highly developed Being, while in body, may attain omniscience also. The Tirthamkaras were such beings who attained omniscience, while they lived, moved and had their being still in this world. This Jaina doctrine of omniscience in a Being who is not yet disembodied, is obviously akin to the theories of the other Indian schools, according to which omniscience is possible before final liberation.
A liberated Soul is omniscient according to the Jainas. On this point and, it seems to us, on the question of the nature of omniscience in souls which have attained it, the Jainas differ from the other Indian schools. In most of the philosophical systems of India, other than the Jaina, omniscience has not been attributed to a liberated soul. It is true that in the Vedantic system except that of the Advaita school, omniscience has been attributed to a liberated soul. But as we have already pointed out, omniscience in such a soul seems to be of a limited type. In the Yoga and other systems also, omniscience has been attributed to souls about to attain the final liberation. But in the case of these souls also, ominiscience seems to be limited. The omniscience attributed to the liberated souls by the Jainas, on the contrary, is perfect, unrestricted and unlimited. It seems to us that the omniscience, attributed to the liberated souls by the Jainas resembles that attributed to the Isvara by the Vedic theistic schools.