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Society, Epistemology and Logic in Indian Tradition
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samyak (right) or as mithyā (wrong or perverted). If the souls have right view or Samyagdarśana then they have right knowledge and if they are possessed of perverted attitude then they have mithyājñāna or ajñāna. The word 'ajñāna' in Jaina system does not denote the complete absence of knowledge, but it indicates the pervertedness of the knowledge. In this way the living beings bearing one sense-organ of touch are possessed of ajñāna, but it is true that the phenomenon of cognition is also found always there. The creatures like caterpillar, ant, termite, butterfly also have knowledge in the form of ajñāna. Thus knowledge or cognition is an essential and inseparable characteristic of a soul in Jainism. Jñānāvarana karma: An obstruction in manifestion of knowledge
Jaina thinkers accept that every bhavya (having potential for ultimate emancipation) soul has a capability of becoming omniscient, but the bondage of jñānāvarana (knowledge covering) karma is an obstruction in its manifestation. Whenever a soul completely destructs the Karma-bondage of jñānāvarana, the pure and complete knowledge Kevalajñāna arises at the moment. Before arising of kevaljñāna, mohanīya karma (deluding karma) is destructed. Darśanāvarana (intuition covering) karma and
*There are eight karmas in Jainism which obscure or obstruct the menifestation of real attributes of a soul. They are (i) jñanavaraņa (obscures knowledge) (ii) darśanāvaraņa (obscures sensitivity or intuition) (iii) vedanīya (provides pleasure and sorrows) (iv) mohanīya (deduding karma) (v) āyuşya (karma related to lifespan) (vi) nāma (provides body, sense organs etc) (vii) gotra (provides higher or lower life-values) (viii) antarāya(obstructs the qualities of generousity etc.).
