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श्रीमद् विजयराजेन्द्रसूरि - स्मारक -ग्रंथ
show that they are not opposed to the doctrine of the Veda-reciter," Omniscient God. With all this, however, it is obvious that there is essential difference between the 'Isvara' of the Jaina's and the 'Isvara' of Vedic school. The God of the Jaina's is not the creator of the world, he was originally a mortal human being, who through self-culture and self-development attained God-hood, consisting in teachership. The Tirthamkara Gods are also more than one in number. The God of the Vedic school, on the contrary, is the world-creator and from "eternity to eternity" is the one ever-free Lord, revealing the Veda's in the early dawn of the cosmic creation.
The Tirthamkara, otherwise called the 'Arhat' is then the Isvara', according to the Jaina's, who is the author of the Veda's (of course, the Jaina scriptures). By admitting in this way the doctrine of the authorship and of the teachership of the Veda's, the Jaina's distinguish their view from that of the Mimamsaka's, according to which, the Veda's are uncreate and self existent. Regarding the question of the 'Mukti' or final emancipation also, the Jaina and the Mimamsa views are different. According to the Mimamзaka's, a good, well-behaved and dutiful man on his death goes to heavens and enjoys the best happiness. 'Mukti' or complete liberation, however, is inattainable. According to the Mimamsaka thinker, the 'Samsara" or the existential series is not only beginningless but endless also. the Jaina's, on the contrary, main. tain that save and except the Abhavya' Jiva's (who can never attain the complete emancipation), all Souls are capable of attaining libertion. A Soul, when liberated, is possessed of 'Kevala-Jňana', which is nothing other than Omniscience.
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Besides the disembodied perfect Beings who are completely free and are Omniscient, according to the Jaina's, as stated above, a highly developed Being, while in body, may attain Omniscience also. The Tirthamkara's were such Beings who attained Omniscience, while they lived, moved and had their being still in this world. This Jaina doctrine of Omniscience in a Being who is not yet disembodied, is obviously akin to the theories of the other Indian schools, according to which Omniscience is possible before final liberation.
A liberated Soul is Omniscient according to the Jaina's. On this
