New Dimensions in Jaina Logic

Author(s): Mahaprajna Acharya, Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Today and Tommorrow Printers and Publishers

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22 New Dimensions in Jaina Logic
probans. The scriptural knowledge, in fact, is the comprenension of an object through another object. Thus, for instance, when we know fire from smoke, it is a case of the cognition of one object through another. Similarly the service of a probans is also not denied in scriptural knowledge. This implies that reasoning was a recognised instrument of knowledge in the scriptural period also, although it occupied a secondary place in the presence of the dominant Agamic personalities. The logico-epistemological devices could not find scope of development during the age of omniscient teachers and specially learned ācāryas, who possessed knowledge of the purvas, in full or in part. In the first century of the Christian era, Aryarakṣita, in his Anuyogadvāra Sutra, accorded a special treatment to pramāņas. Such treatment is not available in the literature prior to that period. The Jaina thinkers were attracted to the logico-epistemological topics in the philosophical period, when the logical science got the supremacy in the absence of ăcăryas possessed of special learning in the scriptures. A glimpse of such development can be obtained in the exegetical literature known as Niryukti, whose authors unambiguously assert the necessity of examples for the dullards and probanses for the audience having sharp intelligence."
Acarya Yativṛṣabha has attached great importance to the faculty of reasoning. The theories propounded by the non-omniscient people about the super-sensible objects are not necessarily free from doubt and perverseness, though in some cases they may be beyond suspicion. It was, therefore, necessary to attach adequate importance to logical reasoning in expounding the views of the traditional ācāryas. There were two happy results of such orientation (1) satisfaction of the intellect of the advanced disciples, and (2) rousing of curiosity of the tyros towards the scriptural knowledge. There was a twofold necessity of this logical develop
ment
(1) Logical defence of one's own position against the logical incursions of the opposite camps.
(2) Satisfaction of the demands of the intelligent Jaina monks, for a clear comprehension of the subjects of interest in the logical age.
It was for these reasons, internal and external, that it was necessary to develop a logical apparatus adequate enough for self