Sramana 1998 01

Author(s): Ashokkumar Singh, Shivprasad, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 106

JAINA PROCESS OF LEARNING regard even the first stage of cognition, i.e., the awareness of the contact of an object with a sense organ as a kind of comprehension (jñāna). The fact is that upto the stage of the awareness of the existence of an object that arises just after the sense-object-contact, is the province of apprehension (darśana).
Non-verbal comprehension is generally divided into four kinds: sensation (avagraha), speculation (īhā), perception (avāya) and retention (dhāraņā).
Sensation is the first stage of comprehension of an object determined by a secondary common feature born of apprehension that follows the contact of the sense-organ and the object and has mere existence as its object'. Every object is in possession of two types of general attributes : primary and secondary. The primary generality is that of existence (sattā). This is the highest type of universality. It is cognised by apprehension that arises just after sense-object-contact. Every other generality is secondary, because it covers a limited number of things. Sensation cognises a secondary generality and not the primary. one. The primary generality, i.e., mere existence is exclusively cognised by apprehension. Thus, sensation is the first stage of cognition of an object determined by a secondary common character. The contact between a sense-organ and its object is a relation competent for the rise of cognition. It is a sort of competency constituted by situation of the object in a spatio-temporal context which is neither too far, nor too near, nor intercepted by an obstructive barrier. Apprehension is that cognition which does not comprehend the specific characters of an object. It arises immediately after sense-object-contact.
Apprehension itself is transformed into sensation when it attains the stage of specific determination at the subsequent stage of cognition, viz., sensation.
After sensation which is the primary stage of sensory perception there arises a cognition that enquires more facts about the specific characters of its object. Speculation is the cognition, knowing the object more distinctly. In sensation there is only a general awareness of the object. In speculation, our enquiry advances towards a distinctive