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SATYASASANA-PARIKSÅ
tion alternately or simultaneously.1 Nescience is impossible of realization only in the case of perfect knowledge and total ignorance. But the latter alternative is impossible because there is no self which is totally devoid of knowledge, which is the possible outcome of total ignorance. As regards the former alternative, the contention is only partially true. A man with perfect knowledge is not subject to nescience. But he realizes and transcends his nescience only with the dawn of such knowledge.
Again, Sureśvara has asserted that nescience is an irrational principle and the fact that it eludes all the epistemological resources is rather symptomatic of its true character. But the Jaina would pose a simple question "How do you know that nescience is not amenable to logical proof? Are you sure that it is so ? If so, what is the source of your conviction. If the Vedāntist confesses that he has no resource which enables him to make such assertion, then he will be guilty of Labashed dogmatism. If, on the other hand, the Vedāntist is sure of the truth of his assertion, this will inean that nescience is not altogether incapable of logical determination. At any rate the determination of nescience as alogical principle must be based upon truth and consequently secured by an accredited organ of knowledge.
Sureśvara has claimed that the postulation of nescience as the prius of the world process makes Vedānta philosophy the simplest of all systeins. It may be so. But this simplicity is more apparent than real. The plurality of entities with their infinite varieties is a felt fact. Nescience was posited over and above the absolutely undifferenced transcendent consciousness called the Absolute because it was felt that plurality, even as appearance, cannot be deduced froin a siinple unity. But if nescience be only another unitary principle, it also will not be competent to produce the appearance of plurality. For this it has been assumed that nescience possesses an infinite plurality of powers. Thus, the claim of simplicity is based upon a quibble. It has however been claimed that nescience with its infinite resources and powers is an unreality and so the only reality is pure consciousness. But the assertion of unreality of nescience is a puzzle which runs counter to the verdict of experience and logical thought. The Vedāntist says that it is not real because it exhibits self-contradiction in every stage. The things of the world are subject to constant change and this means the extinction of the old order and emergence of a new one. But if a thing is to be real in its independent capacity and right, it cannot be supposed that it should diminish or increase or cease to be or come into being. Origin
1 na cātmani kathamcid aviditepyavidyeti nopapadyate, bādhā'virodhāt. kathamcid vijñātepi Vāvidyeti nitarām ghatate, viditātmana eva tadbādhakatvavinisciteḥ katha mcid badhitāyā buddher mısātvasiddheli-SŚP, p. 9.
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