Jaina Concept of Omniscience

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 15

2
THE MEANING OF OMNISCIENCE
As is the case with all the words in use, 'omniscient has got both straight-forward and idiomatic meanings. Sometimes, when we call a man 'omniscient', we do not mean that he knows everything, we simply mean that he is very learned and he knows a lot.: But when God is described to be
omniscient', the meaning is certainly straight-forward and in a very important sense, the omniscient God knows everything or He has infinite knowledge. The important English dictionaries 8 also distinguish between the 'strict and the 'hyperbolical meanings of the term as described above. The dictionary meanings of other important European languages like German, Russian,5 French, Italian,' Spanish ® etc. are generally grounded on the Latin meaning. Like Sanskrit Sarva', 'Omni' is a combining form of Latin 'omnis', used already in ancient Latin in forming compound adjectives as omnifer (all-bearing), omnigenes (of all kinds) etc. The number of these adjectives was increased in Christian and Late Latin by such additions as omniscius (all-knowing), omnivalens (all-powerful) etc. and in mediaval scholastic Latin by such as omniprasens, omniscientia, and
Murray James, ed., A New English Dictionary (10 Vols., 1888-1928, Oxford Clarendon Press, 1909) VII, p. 109; Webster's New International Dictionary (Springfield, G. C. Merium & Co., 2nd ed (1950), p. 1700; The Oxford Universal Dictionary (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 3rd ed., 1955), P. 1368; The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2 vols:, Oxford, Clarendon Press, rev. 1947), Vol. II, p. 1386.
Breul, Karl, rev., A New German and English Dictionary (London Cassell & Co., 1906), p. 321 "all wissend".
Segal Louis ed., New Complete English Russian Dictionary (London, Lund Humpheries & Co., 1st ed., 1948), p. 654, “OMHVIIEHT.”
James Boulhe & De V. Payen--Payne, A New French and English Dictionary (London, Cassell & Co., 1905), p. 331.
Wessely J. E. & Payn G. R. & G. Dictionary of the English & Italian.
Bensely Edward R., A New Dictionary of Spanish and English Languages (Paris, Garnier Brothers, N. D.), p. 453.