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Śramana, Vol. 58. No. 2-3 April-September 2007
Concept of Omniscience in Jainism
Dr. S.P. Pandey*
The problem of Omniscience (Sarvajñatā)
The problem of omniscience has been a matter of abiding interest for Indian philosophy. It is an attribute, which, like omnipotence (sarvasaktimāna), and Omnipresence (Sarva-gatatva), is considered a prerogative of God. The germinal concept of omniscience can be traced back to the Vedas where Varuņa sits looking at all. The frequent use of adjectives like viśvavid', viśvavidvān?, viśvacākṣu' and sarvavit4 by Vedic seers for their deities shows that they were well acquainted with this concept. We do not come across with the term sarvajña until the period of Mundakopanișat, where this very term is used for Brahman, the Absolute“ from whom this, namely the saguna Brahma, comes to birth as name, form and food?'. In the Manduūkyopanişad", and in the literature of the subsequent periods, the term comes to be use exclusively to describe the Iśvara of philosophical systems like Yoga," Nyāya and Vaiseșika, as well as the Purāņic trinity of Brahmā, Vişnu and Mahesa (Siva). However, the Upanişads also employ the term in a metaphorical sense, where it becomes a synonym for Brahmajña or Ātmajña”, the knower of the eternal self. The Upanișadic seers are greatly preoccupied with the search for that One thing by the knowledge of which all this is known'", and in keeping with their predilection for a monistic worldview, proclaim that the knower Brahman knows all, indeed becomes All. It is a truism that there must be somebody to acquire or possess the omniscience that necessarily must be endowed with personality. The notion of human omniscience is completely absent in western thoughts, where only God is described as omniscient. In Indian thought, this concept has been attributed to super human subjects * Asst. Director, Parshwanath Vidyapeeth, Varanasi
