Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 56

Omniscience : Misconception and Clarification
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practically follow the rules of Samskrt, the dictionary meanings of other important European languages like German?, Russian, Italian3, Spanish4, French, English etc. are generally grounded on the Latin meaning.? Thus literally, the term 'Omniscience' means "all-knowledge' or 'knowledge of all. But the terms 'all' and knowledge' are used or can be used in different contexts. Similarly the term 'omniscient' has got both straight forward and idiomatic meanings. When we call a man 'omniscient, we do not mean that he knows everything, we simply mean that he is very learned and he knows a lot. Thus there is a distinction between the 'strict and the 'hyperbolical meanings of the term. Then there are special meanings also that are determined by the philosophical and cultural background of a particular system.
It is clear that the lexical works do help to determine the meaning of a term but they cannot finally decide the meaning because they report only the existing usages. While retaining the lexical identity, the term may have different connotations,
1. Breul, K.: A New German and English Dictionary ( London,
Cassell & Co., 1906 ), p. 321, Omniscient = all wissend. 2. Segal, L. (ed.): New Complete English-Russian Dictionary
(London : Lund Hampheries & Co., 1948), p. 654. 3. Boulle, J. & Payne-Payne, De V. (ed.): A New French and
English Dictionary ( London : Cassell & Co., 1905), p. 331. 4. Wessely, J. E. & Payne G. R. (ed.): A Dictionary of the
English and Italian Languages ( Leipzig, 1909 ), p. 135. 5. Bensely, E. R. (ed.): A New Dictionary of Spanish and
English Languages (Paris : Ganeir Brothers, N. D.), p. 453. 6. A New English Dictionary (ed.) James Murry ( 18 Vols.,
Oxford 1888-1928 ), Vol. VII, p. 109; Webester's New International Dictionary (Springfield, 1950, 2nd edition), p. 1368; The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary ( 2 Vols.,
Oxford, 1947), Vol. II, p. 1386. 7. Omni is a combining form of Latin Omnis, as Omnigenes,
Omnivalense, Omnipresence, Omniscientia etc,