Jaina Theory of Knowledge

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

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JAINA THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
SIMULTANEITY OF APPREHENSION AND COMPREHENSION :
It has been observed by Umasvati that the conscious activities (upayoga) manifesting themselves as sensory cognition, scriptural cognition, clairvoyance, and telepathy (mati, sruta, avadhi and manahparyaya) occur successively and not simultaneously. The conscious activitites of the omniscient, possessing perfect cognition which comprehends all objects and is independent and pure, occur simultaneously at every moment." Umasvati, thus, upholds the view of the simultaneous occurrence of apprehension and comprehension in the case of the omniscient. Kundakunda also holds the same view. It is observed by him that the comprehension and apprehension of an omniscient person operate at the same time even as the light and heat of the sun occur simultaneously. 36 Pujyapada is also of the same opinion. According to him, comprehension and apprehension 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 comprehension and apprehension of an omniscient person were to occur in succession, his perfection would be conditional and accidental. To the omniscient who has destroyed all the obstructive karmic veils, the universal and the particular reveal themselves simultaneously'.18 The same position is possessed by Vidyananda who holds that the awareness of the generic form is apprehension, and the cognition of the