Book Title: Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics
Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Shatnidas Khetsy Charitable Trust Mumbai

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Page 390
________________ Soul 375 the evolution of the universe, a presiding and directing God is to be admitted, who moves the passive Prakrti towards the creation of the world in accordance with the Adrsta's'. This God is conscious of all the Adrsţa's. He knows accordingly what should be the nature of the universe and knows also how the Praksti should be directed in the course of the cosmic evolution. This presiding God is necessarily omniscient. But most of the Sāṁkhya philosophers have not accepted this theistic theory. They point out that Kapila has nowhere expressly admitted the existence of God. Rather, in many of his aphorisms, he has said there are no Pramāṇa's or grounds in support of the doctrine of a creator God. C. THE WORLD-CREATOR AND OMNISCIENCE: THE NYĀYA VIEW: THE JAINA CRITICISM NyĀYA AND VAIŠEȘIKA THEORY OF GOD It is in the Nyāya and the Vaiseșika systems of philosophy that we find the theory of an omniscient and all-powerful God, clearly stated and supported. The philosophers of the Nyāya and the Vaiseșika schools like all other Indian philosophers admit that the Adrsţa or the force due to their acts is the cause of the Jiva's wanderings in the Saṁsāra from the beginningless time through transmigrations. But they do not admit the existence or agenthood of the world-evolving Prakrti of the Sāmkhya. Like the Samkhya philosophers, however, they admit the existence of an infinite number of eternal and uncreate souls; and in the place of one Prakrti, the Nyāya and the Vaiseșika philosophers posit an infinite number of material atoms, as the material basis of the universe. 'न प्रधानादेव केवलादमी कार्यभेदाः प्रवर्तन्ते, तस्या अचेतनत्वान्नहि haatsferostera Rut FFATTHAUTT EGT:'1--------- arhrattaz ga FETTTTT: FITHSHI pafl ---------- प्रकृते सर्वज्ञत्वं जगत्कर्तृत्वं चेति शङ्का प्रकरणे (प्रमेयकमलमार्तण्ड:) Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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