Jain Journal 1998 07

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

Page 15

JAIN CONTRIBUTION OF THE JAINA LOGICIANS TO INDIAN EPISTEMOLOGY 13
PART II
AN APPRAISAL OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO EPISTEMOLOGICAL DOCTRINES
As pointed out before the term 'epistemology' encompasses two dimensions of philosophy i.e. Jñāna-mīmāmsā and Pramana-mīmāmsā. Today I want to make it clear that Nayamimāmsā is also a dimension of epistemology which has been discussed exclusively by Jaina philosophers. Epistemology is a science of knowledge which includes all that deals with every aspect of knowing. Pramāṇamimāmsā and Nayamīmāmsā are not absolutely different from Jñānamimāṇsā. The Tattvārthasūtra of Umāsvāti propounds clearly that knowledge of an object is attained by pramāņa and naya. (Tattvārthasūtra 1.6). Herein it is also clear that Adhigama (knowledge) is a resultant and pramāņa and naya are the means. pramāņa and jñāna are the terms which are commonly found in all the systems of Indian philosophy. But the characteristic concept of 'naya' is a peculiar contribution of Jaina system of Indian epistemology. The Jaina logicians contributed their mite to establish the doctrine of naya. Although 'naya' is a part of śrutajñāna, it has been developed by the Jaina logicians as a separate branch of knowledge which denotes the different attitudes and standpoints. Another contribution of the Jaina logicians the is development of the theory of Anekāntavāda (non-absolutism) and Syādvāda. Saptabhangi naya (sevenfold predication) is also a development of non-absolutism. Thus the Jania contribution to Indian epistemology is significant for knowing a truth with different perspectives. The fivefold knowledge i.e. matijñāna (sensuous knowledge), śrutajñāna (scriptural or verbal knowledge, succeeding (matijñāna), avadhijñāna (visual intuition), manaḥparyaya jñāna (intution of mental modes) and kevala-jñāna (pure and perfect knowledge) is an original contribution of Jaina tradition which was manitained by the Jaina logicians by including it in the twofold pramāņa.
Now I want to highlight the points on which Jania logicians contributed to the Indian epistemology regarding pramāna. The main contributions of the Jaina logicians regarding pramāņa are as follows: Definition of pramāņa and its nature illuminating the self and the object.
(i)
(ii)
Establishment of recollection (smrti) as an independent pramāņa
(iii)
Establishment of recognition (pratyabhijñāna) as an independent pramāṇa