Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

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

Page 76

Six Approaches to Omniscience in Indian Philosophy 67
that? 'Religion is the poetry which we believe'-as Santyana says in his Reason and Religion. Thus omniscience is demonstrated as a religious necessity, i. e., we pass from metaphysical determination to an ethical and volitional determination of knowledge. This spirit of the evangelic religions may also be traced back to the Mahabharat, where knowledge of Dharma is held as the supreme knowledge. Even in the Jaina Agamas, the concept of Sarvajñata has been equated with the conception of Dharmaj ñatal. Prajñakargupta has proved Sugata ( Buddha ) as Dharmajña together with Sarvajñas, Santarakşita also supports it. (4) Approach of Reason
Dogmas if lift to the private field should not be questioned, but if made public, they are bound to face postmortem examinations and hence the formal reasoning is bound to step in. So, we find quite a best of logicians who try to prove Omniscience with the rarest dialectical skill and logical acumen. Among the Buddhists, the names of Santarakṣita4 ( 749770 ) and Prajñakarguptas (about 10th century) are important. Among the Jainas, there is long and continued tradition of logicians who have tried to prove Omniscience with the help of arguments. The names of Umaswati ( 2nd Century ), Siddhasena (5th Century )?, Samantabhadra (6th Century )8, Pūjyapada (6th Century )', Akalanka ( 7th Cen1. Şaçkhandagama ( Amravati, 1939 ), Sut. 78. 2. Pramāpavarttikalarkara, p. 329. 3. Tattva-Sangraha, K. 3328. 4. Ibid ( G.O.S., Baroda ), K. 3328. 5. Pramana-Varttikalankara ( Mahabodhi Society, Saranath ),
p. 329. 6. Tattvartha-Sūtra (Varni Jaina Granthamala, Kashi ), 1. 9. 7. Sanmati-Prakarana (Ed. Dalsukha Malvania, Banaras ),
Ch. VII. 8. Apta-Mimāṁsā (Jaina Siddhanta Prakashini Sanstha,
Calcutta ), Ch. VII. 9. Sarvartha-Siddhi ( Bh ratiya Jnana Picha, Kashi), Ch. I, II.