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Preface
Indian philosophy has a rich tradition of different ideas about metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Epistemology is a branch of philosophy which deals with nature of knowledge (jñāna), its origination, sources, validity and consistency and also it deals with an organ of valid cognition (pramāṇa).
Every Indian philosophy proposes a goal to achieve a blissful life and emancipation from sufferings forever. Knowledge is a powerful resource to control and remove the feeling of sufferings. It is helpful in knowing and propounding the real truth of existent elements of the universe and the pious deeds.
In this book an article entitled "Knowledge in Jainism: an Overview" discusses the nature and kinds of knowledge and the contribution of Jainism to Indian philosophy. Knowledge is considered as an attribute or property of a soul. Nyāya philosophers consider it as a separate category of attribute which resides in a soul with inherence relation whereas Jaina philosophers consider knowledge as an essential, identical and natural attribute of a soul, without which consciousness cannot be defined in a soul. Vedānta philosophers also accept knowledge or cognitive function as an essential character of the soul or brahma.
Knowledge is not only acquired, it is also intrinsically manifested in a soul after removal of ignorance and subsidencecum-destruction (kṣayopaśama) of knowledge-obscuring (jñānāvaraṇa) karma. Sense organs, mind and intellect are the
