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Samayasāra
Chapter - 7
(Abhiņi-sudohi-mana-kevalam ca tàm ekkameva padam hodi) Five classes of knowledge viz. (i) sensuous, (ii) scriptural, (iii) clairvoyance, (iv) mind-reading and (v) omniscience-are divisions of a single faculty called knowledge; (so eso paramattho jam lahidum nivvudim jādi) and this faculty/capability is inherent in the soul and its emergence leads to final emancipation of the soul.
(Nāņaguņeņhi vihīņā bahū vi edam padam tu ņa lahamtī) Without the benefit of the virtue of knowledge [inspite of striving in various ways), many are unable to attain emancipation-[i.e., to demolish the karmic veil which obstructs it) (tam jadi kammaparimokkham icchasi edam niyadam ginha) therefore, if you desire freedom from the bondage of karma, grasp the eternal facultyknowledge.
(Edamhi niccam rado) [Addressing the aspirant) (oh bhavya) always adore the faculty of knowledge, (edamhi niccam samtuttho hohi) be content with it, (edana titto hohi) be totally satisfied with it (tuha uttamam sokkham hohidi) you will (positively) attain bliss par excellence. Annotations :
In these four verses, the author eulogizes knowledge and emphasizes it as the highest spiritual virtue of knowledge, leaving aside all other efforts. Among the numerous attributes, virtues and faculties of the soul, some are merely transient while a few are permanent, innate and unalienable. Both in worldly and emancipated unembodied states, consciousness/knowledge (jñāna) is the most powerful and unalienable capability of the three most precious faculties-three jewels-that constitute the path of emancipation. While faith/belief (darśana) and conduct (cāritra) exhaust their potency of usefulness, once the soul has demolished the deluding (mohunīya) karma. Knowledge (jñāna) alone [in the form of omniscience] adorns the eternal emancipated state of the soul. By this verses, the author earnestly admonishes the aspirants to concentrate all efforts on the acquisition of knowledge.
To comprehend the full significance of the value of knowledge, we shall, briefly, study the Jain theory of knowledge. Jain epistemology-theory of knowledge-is as old as Jainism itself and can be regarded as of great antiquity in its basic form, the theory
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