________________
MIMĀNSAKAS' OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
177
of omniscience against the knowledge of dharma. The Mimāmsakas point out that the assumption of omniscience is both futile and false. 12 It is false, since “it is impossible to know the innumerable atoms and hairs even of a single body'18, what to speak of knowing each of the endless number of things, past, present and future. It is futile because it is impossible and does not have any bearing upon dharma and adharma; it can be of no use in fulfilling any purpose of man. Since the dharma is cognisable through scripture only.14 (according to them), the entire attempt is as futile as "counting the crow's teeth ”15 or "humping of husks.”16 It is interesting here to refer to Dhamakirti, who also, in a similar vein, ridiculse the very idea of omniscience consisting of the knowledge of number of insects, etc. of the universe..
But the later Buddhist thinkers do not accept this position. Prajñākaragupta shows that unless we have got pure knowledge, even our words cannot be true and reliable.17 Sāntarakṣita advances many arguments against the position of the Mimāṁsakas. He says that “assertion of the impossibility of any one knowing all bairs and nails, etc., is without any basis and entirely based on ignorance,"18 since the unreality of omniscience has not been proved by any of the pramāṇas. To the charge of futility, śāntaraksita says that it is "with a totally different motive that the wise Buddhists make an attempt to acquire knowledge of all things."19 True, the Buddhists are primarily concerned with proving that Buddha knows the means of attaining heaven and liberation, and their attempt to prove Buddha's omniscience is only incidental. But it does not mean that in matters other than heaven and liberation, the know12 śāntarakṣita, Ibid., 3136. 13 Ibid., 3137.
15 Ibid., 3138. 14 Ibid., 3140-41.
16 Ibid., 3142-44. 17 Prajñākaragupta, Värttikalankāra, II. 287-552 18 śāntarakṣita, Ibid., 3268-3269. 19 Ibid., 3308. JCO--23
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
