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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
ledge which generally preceds śrutajñāņa and is not accompanied by śrutajñana. Matijñāna is of two types: sabhilāpa and anabhilāpa. But śrutajñāna is only of sabhilapa type.1 Arthāvagraha is not sābhilāpa while all other forms of matijñāna are sābhilāpa. Śrutajñāna is sābhilāpa but it should be noted that only săbhilapa jñāna is not srutajñana. Because, knowledge which used words cannot be considered as śrutajñāna. The knowledge which uses words is meant for others (parārtha) and it is meant to communicate the knowledge to the other individuals. It is used for explaining to others by means of lanugage. Matijñāna can also be sākṣara as it uses certain expressions, but it is not meant for the sake of others and it does not serve the purpose of communicating to others. Śrutajñāna on the contrary is sākṣara and also it is primarily concerned with use of language for expressing the thoughts and experiences.s
The function of matijñāna is to experience the sensory experiences like touch, taste, smell, form, and sound and also to give meaning to these experiences. The function of śrutajñāna is to comprehend the meaning of these experiences to the use of words and sentences and to communicate to others. Therefore, mati is considered as arthajñāna and śruta as sabdārthajñāna.
The relation of mati and śrutu is that of the cause and the effect. Matijñāna is the cause and śrutajñāna is the effect. Śrutajñāna is that knowledge which gives meaning through the use of the language and based on the memory. Śrutajñāna gives the possibility of acquiring meaning to the word and that meaning is retained after the knowledge is obtained. First, there is matijñāna through the stages of avagraha, etc. and then we get Śrutajñāna.
Dravyaśruta becomes the effect of the matijñāna (pertaining to the hearing sense-organ) but bhava śruta cannot be the effect of matijñāna and therefore according to this viewpoint śrutajñāna is considered the effect of matijñāna. From another point of view dravya śruta
1 Viseşāvasyka bhāşya vṛtti 100
2
I bid 170.
3 (a) Anuyogadvāra 2
(b) Viseşāvasyakabhāṣya vṛtti 100
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