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Epistemology oj Jainas
deserve that calling when he is on leave or not actually engaged in study. A fire is not fire unless it produces heat or burns something. Similarly, a soul is not soul unless it knows something.
Vidyānandal maintains that term Jñana has three senses--- Apprehension, the power of apprehension and the cogniser. Ontologically, they do not differ from one another. But, when considered epistemologically or with a view to point out some distinction, they are relatively different. He cites the example of fire. There are three aspects in it. The fire as substance, the fire as power of burning, and the fire as act of burning. We say, “The fire burns". The fire is agent, its power of burning is instrument and burning is action. Similarly, the soul is agent, consciousness or the power of knowing is the instrument and knowledge is the act. This explains the experience of difference among the three categories, actually they are one and the same thing. Vidyānanda's expression of "svavivartavivartinoh" is very significant in this respect. It shows that the soul or consciousness does not leave its original state while engaged in the function of cognition. A snake is always snake whether it is in coil or straight. Similarly, a consciousness is always so, whether it knows a jar or cloth. The word vivarta is not used here in the Vedantic sense of the difference in reality; but, in the sense though both states stand on the same level of reality; one is changing and the other is continued.
Jinabhadra gives three derivations of the term jñana which explain its different positions ultimately leading to their identity with the soul.2 According to the first derivation jñāna means the process that leads to apprehension (jānāti iti ). It is that function of soul which leads to the appearance of an objecta
1. Tattvārthsślokavārtika p. 58 2. Višeşāvaśyakabhāşya p. 80-81
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