Jain Journal 2002 07

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

Page 21

Dr. Rajjan Kumar : Avadhijnana : The Supersensuous Knowledge
15 Besides, the assumption of that area limitations some other facts are also taken to consider the potentiality of avadhijñāna. For instance, it is believed that in the Indian legends the possessers of avadhijñāna have the ability to occult knowledge and describing hidden treasures or foretelling the future calamities or personal destiny. This is also applied on some birds and animals. But that assumption which belongs to subhuman beings has not given any philosophical importance. Even then, they all are referred for enhancing the glory of avadhijñāna. The area cognized by Avadhijñāna
It is well-known that knowledge needs a combine help of senses and mind, but for common people it is applied for indirect knowledge. That sort of knowledge of common people is confined to the capacity of senses and the mind. Contrary to this the area of avadhijñāna is ascertained from the point where the soul begins to funcion independently. Because it is a direct knowledge and by rule it has the ability to apprehend the objects directly by soul without any help of senses and the mind, the auxiliary aid of soul of concerning selves through which the soul gets knowledge.
The minimum and maximum area of cognition by Avadhi can be fixed as 1. Sense-cognition and 2. Omniscience. Avadhi with the minimum capacity apprehends the area, as little as the dimension of a panaka in the third moment of its birth!4. The maximum area cognised by avadhi is the entire universe and innumerable units of the same size beyond it. It is believed that the whole universe is measured by 14 Rajjus's, a hypothetical scale of innumerable yojanas.
It is supposed that the five substances i.e. Dharma, Adharma, Jiva, Pudgala and Kāla are found in this area of 14 Rajjus only. Beyond it there is only one substance viz. Ākāsa. Out of the six dravyas the pudgala is material while the other five are immaterial. Avadhi can know the material objects only. But, the question under discussion is the extension of space, where the object can be apprehended by the avadhi with maximum capacity. Jinabhadral“ holds that avadhi can apprehend an area as much as is constituted by innumerable worlds of the dimension of 14 Rajjus.
Beyond the above mentioned area, there is no material substance