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Knowledge In Jainism: An Overview
antaraya (Obstructive) karma also got destructed altogether with jñānāvaraṇa. Umāsvāti says
"Pure and perfect knowledge (omniscience) arises when deluding karma is eleminated and as a result, knowledgecovering, intuition-covering and obstructive karma are eliminated."
It means knowledge is affected by deluding karma. Whenever deluision in our views arises, the right knowledge is affected. Hence for manifestion of right knowledge destruction of mohaniya (deluding) karma is needed.
Causation of knowledge
According to Jaina philosophy knowledge does not come from outside. It always manifests in a soul after the destruction (kṣaya) or subsidence-cum-destruction (Kṣayopaśama) of Jñānāvaraṇa Karma. Although we know the objects through sense-organs and quasi-sense (mind), but these are only the instruments. The knowledge does not manifest in them. Knowledge is an attribute of a soul. In the view of Jaina thinkers light and objects are not the real causes of the origination of a knowledge. Although their presence helps in the manifestation of a knowledge to us, but these are not needed for a person who has supersensuous intuition, therefore the Jaina philosophers do not accept the direct causation of light and object. Acārya Hemacandra says (In brief) :
"Tattvärthasutra, 10.1: Mohakṣayāj-jnāna-darśanāvaraṇāntarāyakṣayācca
kevalam.
