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Direct Knowledge
381
Sāntarakṣita explains the knowledge of all the three times as follows: All the objects of past and future are related with the present. The past object is directly or indirectly the cause of the present Similarly, the future object is the effect of the present. A yogin, who knows the present perfectly, understands its cause and the effect also. Thus, he knows all the objects of past and future. This idea can be compared with the Jaina maxim, he knows all, who knows one.' But, the above description shows that the knowledge of past and future is derived from perception of the present. It is not direct. On the other hand the Jaina holds that the knowledge of a sarvajña is perceptual or direct in all the three times. He does not infer the past or future from the present; but, perceives all in the three tenses directly.
Kaivalya and Advaita-Vedānta
According to Advaita-Vedāntal also the knowledge of Universe and the knowledge of reality i.e. Brahman are two diffe. rent things. The knowledge of Universe is an attribute of īśvara (God). Brahman, according to the Vedānta, is pure consciousness. When the some is conditioned by Māyā, it is known as Isvara. Now, the Māyā has two powers of obscurance and projection. It is known as avidyā where both powers are in operation as in the case of ordinary souls. In the case of Išvara where Māyā is in its pure substance, the first power does not operate. Accordingly the knowledge of God is not obscured and he knows the entire universe. The second power of Māyā helps him in the creation of universe; which is his own pröja tion. He creates it, retains it and destroys it. Māyā is the con tituent (pariņāmin) cause of the universe, while God is illusory (vivatar) cause ?
Vidyācanya explains the phenomenon of omniscience as follows: Universal experience means the consciousness reflected 1. Vedāntaāsra 2. Vivarana Prameya Sangraba p. 202
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