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śramaņa, Vol 58, No. 2-3/April-September 2007
The world creator and omniscience: The Nyāya-Vaiseșika View
It is in the Nyāya and the Vaiseșika system of philosophy that we find the theory of an omniscient and all-powerful God clearly stated and supported. Refuting the idea of omniscience of Arhat they say it is not proper to attribute Omniscience to the Arhat, because Omniscience can be possible only in the Divine Architect (Śiva) who has formed the earth, the mountain and other things of the world. 27 They admit that the Adrsta or the force due to their acts is the cause of the Jiva's transmigration in the world. They posit an infinite number of material atoms, as the material basis of the universe. According to Naiyāyikas, the God, the creator, is necessarily omniscient. He makes such a body and such environments for each soul as are exactly in accordance with its Adrsta. According to Nyāya and Vaišeșika systems, there are two types of omniscienceomniscience of God and the omniscience of Yogin. The omniscience of God is eternal as it is neither produced nor destroyed. The omniscience of Yogin is a kind of supernatural power obtained through yogic practices. But this power is not the manifestation of a natural property of the soul as the Jainas hold; rather they are acquired embellishment; which vanishes after a certain period. Omniscience, according to Jainism is the pre-requisite of emancipation (Moksa), without obtaining it no one can aspire to the state of emancipation. Nyāya-Vaišeșika holds that omniscience is independent from emancipation. All the Yogins do not necessarily obtain that power before attaining liberation. They hold that in state of liberation cognition is totally absent. On the other hand, Jainism holds that all the liberated souls are omniscient and are always with perfect knowledge.
Jainas repudiate the theory of God as the first cause or Architect of the universe. They point out the two aspects of a thing viz. substance and modes. Jainas contend that things of the universe e.g. earth, water etc. are certainly uncreated and eternal, so we cannot talk of any causes bringing them into existence. Objecting to the theory of an omniscient-creator of the things of the universe, they
