Sramana 1998 01

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

Page 108

JAINA PROCESS OF LEARNING
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determined, secondly, the determination of the object is retained and thirdly, the object is recognised on future occasions. Jinabhadra defines retention as 'the absence of the lapse of perceptual cognition'. At this stage the judgment which has been acquired in the third stage of comprehension, becomes so firm that it does not lapse. Like Umāsvāti he also admits three stages of retention.
Verbal comprehension is the knowledge derived from the reading or hearing of words of trust-worthy persons. The knowledge embodied in scriptures, i.e., in the works of reliable authorities is also called verbal knowledge, Verbal comprehension is necessarily preceded by non-verbal comprehension. As has been observed by Umāsvāti: Scriptural comprehension is preceded by non-verbal comprehension. The difference of the two is that non-verbal comprehension comprehends only what is present, whereas scriptural comprehension knows what is present, past and future'. As regards the types of scriptural comprehension, there may be as many as the number of letters and their different combinations, since the very foundation of scriptural comprehension is verbal assertion, and such being the case, it is not possible to enumerate all the types.9 Bhadrabahu mentions fourteen salient features of scriptural comprehension. They are: alphabetic, discursive, right, having beginning, having end, containing repetition, that which is included in the original scriptures, non-alphabetic, nondiscursive, wrong, having no beginning, having no end, containing no repetition and that which is excluded from the original scriptures.10 He further enumerates eight qualities of intellect necessary to give rise to verbal comprehension. These qualities are: desire for hearing, repeated questioning, attentive hearing, grasping, enquiry, conviction, retention and right action.11 To properly grasp the importance of verbal comprehension let us understand the nature of alphabet. The Nandisūtra recognises three varieties of alphabet : script, sound and learning. The shape of a letter is called script or alphabet proper. The spoken letter is nothing but sound. Learning is the competency to follow the meaning of the letters and their combinations. 12 The first two varieties are only material symbols written or spoken. The third variety is verbal comprehension proper, in as much as it is kind of cognition which is different from material symbols. It can be produced through any of