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Darśana
Jayadhavala1 interprets ākāra in two ways. Firstly, it means the state of being object to certain knowledge. All external things exist in their own nature independent of knowledge. A certain internal or external phenomenon transforms a particular thing into the objective of a certain knowledge. On account of this transformation that particular thing is separated from the multitude of other things. Darśana is the stage occurring before this phenomenon. Secondly, 'akara' means the object other than the self. Both definitions lead to the same conclusion. The first takes into consideration the object while the second is related with the self.
447
The third particular is 'avisesiuņa atthe'. In the former interpretation it meant without associating the object with its details. In the present it means without specification or qualification of the objects. In the former case it meant qualifying the cloth with colour etc. as it is red, white, cotton, woollen etc. In the present case it means qualifying the knowledge with objects, as it is the knowledge of jar, cloth etc.
Jain Education International
In the cognition of 'this is a jar', the jar stands as the object of consciousness and; thus, it is objectified. At the same time the object on its part qualifies the consciousness. These, two functions i. e. the objectification of the thing and qualification of consciousness are designed by Jayadhavalā as ākāra. Darsana is free from either of the two functions. In its case neither a thing stands as an object nor the consciousness as qualified. It is self-luminous. We can compare it with the light, when there is no object to be illumined. The light is no more an illuminer as long as the object does not come in its contiguity. We may call it simply shining. But, the same becomes illumining when an object enters into the sphere. Similarly, the state of consciousness before the introduction of an object is nirakara or without object. This is called darśana or cit. As soon as an object is introduced it becomes sākāra, jñāna or prakāśa.
1. Jaya Dhavala p. 359
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