________________
Society, Epistemology and Logic in Indian Tradition
48
"Light and object are the general causes like space and time. These are not the direct causes of generating knowledge in a living being."' Further Hemacandra says- "In the mirage we know water inspite of its absence. some animals like cow, cat, etc. can see in the night without light, hence light and object are not the real causes of the knowledge. Yogins know the objects of past, present and future, but causation of the objects is not seen there.”8
Self and Object - illuminating (Sva-para-Prakāśakatva)
Jaina philosophers propound that knowledge illuminates itself and the object. Self illuminating and the object illuminating (Svaparaprakāśakatva) is a natural characteristic of a knowledge. In the view of Jaina philosophers, if a knowledge does not illuminate itself, then it cannot illuminate the objects also. They give an example of the sun, which illuminates itself and the objects as well.'
Naiyayikas accept that a knowledge can not illuminate itself, it can illuminate, its object only. For illumination of a knowledge an another knowledge is required. Buddhist Vijñānavadins do not accept any existence other than of vijñāna (knowledge). Hence they accept a knowledge self-illuminating only.
'Pramāņa- mīmāmsā 1.1.25 vrtti: Nārthālokau Jñānasya nimittama-vyatirekāt. Bāhyo visayah prakāśaśca na caksurjñānasya sākşāt Kāranam; deśakāladivattu vyavahitakāranatvam na nivāryate, jnānāvaranādiksayopaśamasāmagryāmārādupakārit-venānjāñādiva- ccaksurupakāritvena cābhyupagamāt. See Pramāna mīmāmsā 1.1.25 vstti 'Niyamasāra, tātparyavrtti, 159 and Pramānanaya-tattvāloka 1.17
