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Epistemology of Jainas but as generating the quality of manifestedness (prākatya) on the object.
The Jaina, in accordance with his notion of limited size of the soul, does not believe in the theory of contact or grasping. He contends that the soul is confined to the body, while knowledge can cover the whole universe. The relation with the object means simply illumination of the object. The sun while sticking to its own place illumines the earth. It is not necessary for him to stay with the object of its illumination. Similarly, the soul does not come into direct contact with the objects; nor they are represented by via media, but illumined by the soul when the obscurance of karmans is removed. Thus, according to Jainism knowledge means the removal of this obscurance which paturally results into the illumination of an object. Further, this illumination is not a quality generated in the object as the Mimāṁsaka holds. The knowledge is totally a subjective phenomenon. Illumination also is the function of soul. The Jaina term for it is upayoga (attention). The main objection against the Mimāṁsā is this, if the quality of manifestedness is produced in the object, the latter should be apprehended also by the person who is not attentive. On the other hand the effect of manifestation by a particular subject is confined to that person only. In the case of light where the illumination is an objective phenomenon, the illumined object is open to the vision of every body. The objective phenomenon of touc'ı is open to everybody's apprehension. But the quality of manifestedness generated by A is not open to B. It is therefore, purely subjective.
This Jaina position is uuique in this respect. It admits neither reflection, nor modification. The illustration of the sun also does not explain the position fully. Kundakunda cites the example of sapphire placed into milk. The sapphire makes the milk appear green without pervading the entire area. But, this example also does not explain the phenomenon of illu
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