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Epistemology of Jainas
According to another opinion, when anything is cognized by mati and spoken with attention, it is bhāvaśruta. When the same is spoken without attention it is dravyaśruta and if it is not spokso at all, it is mati. Thus, the differentiating factor of mati and śruta is speech only. As far as cognition is concerned they are identical.
VBh refutes the above view that it leaves no scope for bhāvašruta. In the first case there are two things viz. attention and speech. The first is mati and the latter is dravyasruta. None of them has any affinity with bhāvaśruta. In the second case it is clearly dravyaśruta.
Moreover, the cognition, which is mati at the time of its inception, cannot become śruta by merely being expressed in words. If it is mati it will remain so throughout. There should be some qualitative difference if śruta is accepted as a separate type of cognition.
Difference between mati and śruta due to expressibility and inexpressiblity
Another important difference between mati ant śruta consists in that the objects apprehended by śruta can be expressed in toto. They are not beyond the reach of words. It does not mean that all such objects are actually expressed or conveyed to others. A greater part of them is left unexpressed. But, this is due to their huge number and the shortness of life. By nature they are not inexpressible. On the other hand the objects cognised by mati and the avadbi etc. are not within the reach of the words. The objects known through scriptures or preaching can be put into words in their entireness. Every thing known in this way can be conveyed to othere. But, what we know through senses or other types of perceptual cognition, cannot be expressed through words as it is. The words are generally related with class concepts. The individual peculiarities, appearing new and new with every perception, are beyond the reach of words. We can experience them but not express. It is on this basis that 1. Višeşāvaśyakabhāsya G. 145-150
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