Jain Journal 1998 07

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

Page 19

JAIN CONTRIBUTION OF THE JAINA LOGICIANS TO INDIAN EPISTEMOLOGY 17
cum-destruction of the karma obscuring knowledge. Acārya Hemcandra gives a different argument that recollection is a valid organ of cognition without its emergence from an object, such as yogijñāna is a valid organ of cognition without its emergence from an object.
iii. Establishment of recognition (pratyabhijñā) as pramāṇa
Another contribtution of the Jaina logicians to Indian epistemology is the establishment of recognition pratyabhhijñāna as an independent organ of cognition. According to the Jaina logicians recognition is the synthetic judgement born of observation and recollection. Akalarka has used the term Samjñā, Samjñāna and pratyabhijñāna for recognition. The Jaina philosophers have included the comparison (upamāna) under recognition as one of its kinds. They did not accept comparision as a separate organ of valid cognition. The Jaina logician Vidyananda propounded two types of recognition i.e. knowledge of oneness (ekatvajñāna) and knowledge of similarity (sādṛśya jñāna).
When the object already perceived and recollected is the same at the time of recognition, the recognition is in the form of knowledge of oneness and when the object is similar to the object being perceived and recollected, the recognition is in the form of knowledge of similarity. tadevam ityekatva-nibandhanam tādṛśam evedam iti. sādṛsyanibandha (Pramāṇa-parikṣnamp.42). He is the same Devadatta so'yam devadattaḥ is the example of knowledge of oneness and as an ox so the gavaya go-sadṛso gavayah is the example of knowledge of similarity.
Manikyanandin, a profound scholar of Jaina epistemology, goes a step futher and recognises recognition on its various aspects. He says the recognition can be manifold. Some examples are: it is identical with that, it is similar to that, it is different from that, it is relatum to that. tad evedam tat sadṛśam, tadvilakṣaṇam, tat-pratiyogityādi (Parikṣāmukha 3.5) former two types of recognition have already been mentioned above. A buffalo is different from the cow is the example of tad-vilakṣaṇatva and 'this is away from that' 'this is near to that', are the examples of (tat pratiyogitva). Acarya Hemcandra corroborates the kinds proposed by Manikyanandin.
Vādidevasūri, the author of Pramana-naya-tattvāloka and Syadvādaratnākara used the new terms of tiryak sāmānya and ūrdhvatā-sāmānya relating to the definition of recognition. Tiryak sāmārya and he is the same Devadutta denotes ūrdhvatā-sāmārya. In Indian philosophy Nyāya, Vaiseṣika, Mīmāmsā, Vedānta and Kāśmira Śaivism also discuss the recognition, but they include it in perception and do not recognise it as a separate organ of valid cognition.