Sambodhi 2005 Vol 28

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah, K M Patel
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 39

AN OUTLINE OF JAINA EPISTEMOLOGY
RABINDRA KUMAR PANDA
1. Introduction.
The epistemology (pramānaśāstra) of the Jaina logicians dealing with the nature of cognition and its related topics, is an important branch of Jaina philosophical thought. It is not an independent system. The epistemology ideas are mixed up with the Jaina religio-philosophical thoughts so closely that one finds it difficult to distinguish them. They cannot be properly understood without proper knowledge of the fundamental philosophical concepts of the Jaina philosophy. Since the epistemology is very much linked with ontology and soteriology, the fundamental philosophical ideas have considerably influenced the epistemology issues of the Jainas.
The main idea that the true knowledge only leads to the highest goal of life, that is, emancipation, has lead the logicians of the Jaina school to reflect upon the problems of knowledge and to make attempts for unfolding its various facets keeping in view the nature of the reality. But, the point which deserves our appreciation is that the Jaina logicians have, like the epistemologists of other Indian philosophical schools, have developed an appreciable body of thought, though not systematically presented in the works of the Jaina philosophers. In fact there are no systematic works dealing with all the important aspects of knowledge. As I could ascertain, the thinkers of Jaina logic have used the sources of the Hindu logicians, have made clear-cut references to them, refuted some of their viewpoints and tried to develop their theory of knowledge. Here I attempt to give an outline of the Jaina epistemology.
The Jaina epistemology mainly deals with the four issues, namely, the nature of Pramāna, pramā, pramātā and prameya. It deals with the last two questions in order to throw a light upon the nature of pramā and pramāņa. They