Jaina Literature and Philosophy a Critical Approach

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Aspects of Jainology: Volume VI
five-fold knowledge, found in Bhagavatisūtra, is in vācaka, respectively. Regarding the authorship of accordance with this first stage. The Sthānanga and Anuyogadvarasūtra scholars have different opinions Umāsvāti's Tattvärthasūtra (c. 3rd A.D.) refer the as to whether Aryarakṣita himself is the author or second stage where the knowledge is divided into two some one else. So far as the question of Aryarakṣita is main heads (i) Pratyakṣa ( direct knowledge concerned it is a fact that he for the first time transincorporating sensory and scriptural knowledge) and lated the Jaina technical terms by Anuyoga-vidhi. It (ii) Parokṣa (indirect knowledge which incorpora- is the text of philosophical method. In the beginning, tes the three extra-sensory knowledge ). Umäsväti Anuyogadvarasutra mentions that mati, avadhi, also supports this two-fold division. At this stage, it manah-paryaya and kevala these four types of was supposed that apart from the cognition depend- knowledge depend on experience only. They can not ing on the soul alone (Atmasāpekṣa Jñana ), the be preached where as śrutajñāna can be studied and cognition depending on sense-organs and quasi- preached. At this third stage of development Anusense-organs (indriya-anindriya sapekṣa ), depend- yogadvära gives importance to the four-fold division. ing on the intellect (buddhi sapekṣa) and the cog- In this third stage of development particularly based nition depending on the Agamas, should be consi- on Nandi and Anuyogadvara, the cognition dependdered as Indirect knowledge (Parokṣa Jñana ). It ing on sense-organs, even being considered transcenbecame a special feature of Jaina Epistemology dently as indirect (parokṣa), was also included in because others were considering it as a direct know- direct knowledge (pratyakṣa) following the concept ledge (pratyakṣa ). The development of this second of other traditions and it was designated as samstage was very essential as it was to pave the way of vyavahārika pratyakṣa ( perception according to the synthesis between the theory of knowledge (Jñana- common usage or ordinary perception). vada) and validity of knowledge. At this stage, the knowledge (Jñana) itself was considered as an instrument of valid knowledge (pramāņa) and was divided into Direct knowledge (pratyakṣa) and Indirect knowledge (parokṣa ).
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The third stage of the development is represented by Nandisūtra (c. 5th A. D. ). In the whole of the Agamas, Nandisūtra is the only composition which thoroughly deals with the theory of five-fold knowledge. In Nandisūtra another development is also visible where the sense-cognition is included in pratyakṣa, following the common tradition. The second work, dealing with the conception of five-fold knowledge is Anuyogadvarasutra (c. 2nd). Anuyogadvara is earlier than Nandisutra because former does not include sense cognition in Direct knowledge as the latter does. It is believed that Anuyogadvara and Nandisūtra are compiled by Aryarakṣita and Deva
In my opinion, primarily empirical sensual cognition was included in darśana and contemplative matijñāna was confined only to the deliberative intellectual knowledge (vimarśātmaka jñāna ). This distinction was also recommended in later period. Four early classifications of matijñāna, i.e., avagraha, ihā, avaya and dhāraṇā are also considered as deliberative knowledge but when sensory cognition was included in matijñāna, the question arose as to how the knowledge, originated from sense-organs, would be regarded as indirect knowledge. Consequently, it was accepted as samvyavahārika pratyaksa (perception according to common usage) following the other philosophical traditions.
To synthesize the first stage of five-fold knowledge with two-fold classification of pramāṇapratyakṣa and paroksa of second stage, a third stage was introduced. An attempt was also made to