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intuition and knowledge (both extra-sensory) of an omniscient person occur simultaneously, some stick to the canonical conception and regard them as successive and not operating at the same time, while others assert that they are mutually identical. Let us deal with all the three. Simultaneity of Intuition and knowledge :
It is observed by Umāsvāti that the conscious activities manifesting themselves as sensory cognition, scriptural cognition, limited direct cognition and direct cognition of mind (mati, śruta, avadhi and manaḥparyāya) occur successively, and not simultaneously. The conscious activities of the omniscient, possessing perfect knowledge and intuition which comprehend all objects and are independent and pure, occur simultaneously at every moment.' Umāsvāti, thus, upholds the view of simultaneous occurrence of intuition and knowledge in the case of an omniscient being. Kundakunda also holds .the same opinion. It is stated by him that the knowledge and intuition of an omniscient person operate at the same time even as the light and heat of the sun occur simultaneously.? Pūjyapāda is also of the same opinion. According to him, knowledge and intuition occur in succession in the imperfect who is under the influence of obstructive karma, while in the perfect who is completely free from the veil of obscuring karma, they occur simultaneously. Akalanka also supports the same view. He says : 'If the knowledge and intuition of the omniscient were to occur in succession, his perfection would be conditional and accidental. To the omniscient who has destroyed all the relevant karmic veils, the universal and the particular reveal themselves simultaneously." The same position is possessed by Vidyānandi who holds that the
1. Tattvārtha-bhāşya, I. 31. 2. Niyama-sára, 159. 3. Sarvārtha-siddhi, I1.9. 4. Astašati on Aptamīmāṁsā, 101.
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