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Society, Epistemology and Logic in Indian Tradition
paramount importance since it goes one step further in developing Jaina epistemological doctrines. He was the first and the last commentator among the Jaina sects who wrote such a big and authoritative commentary on Jaina epistemology. He dealt with all the philosophical aspects and cogently proved the validity of kāraṇa, pūrvacara, uttaracara, sahacara and vyāpya hetus (Probans) and coined the two new terms tiryak sāmānya and urdhvatā sāmānya in the context of Pratyabhijñāna of prameya.
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Hemacandrasūri, known as Kalikālasarvajña, was not only a logician, but also a poet, rhetorician, grammarian, lexicographer etc. His unique work Pramāṇa-mīmāmsā has established him as an original thinker in the field of epistemology. He defines pramāņa as an authentic definitive cognition of an object. He does not feel any neccesity of inserting 'sva' word in the definition of pramāṇa, because in the opinion of Hemacandra Svanirnaya' does not distinguish it from illusory cognition.' Prior to Hemcandra pramāņa was defined as svaparavyavasāyi, svaparāvabhāsaka etc. which means pramāņa is a definitive cognition of an object and of the self. Thus Hemacandra has his own views whereas Manikyanandin inserted the word 'apūrva' in the definition of pramāṇa." Hemacandra repudiates his insertion and says that a cognition taking note of an object previously cognized does not lack the status of pramāṇa exactly as the cognition which takes
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'PM 1.1.2 Samyagarthanirnayaḥ pramānam
'PM 1.1.3 Svanirnayaḥ sannapyalakṣaṇam, apramāṇe'pi bhāvāt 10PMk 1.1. Svāpūravārtha-vyavasāyātmakam jñānam pramāṇam. "PM 1.4 Grahiṣyamāṇagrāhiņa iva gṛhītagrāhinopi nāprāmāṇyam.
