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The pārināmiki is defined as 'the intellection which fulfils (its purpose) by means of inference, reasoning, and analogy, which develops with the maturity of age, and which results in well-being and salvation."1
The common feature of all these intellects is this that none of them is inspired by learning. They are either due to spontaneous suggestion, or modesty and humility, or practical experience, or natural maturity of the power of reasoning. It is on account of this common characteristic that they are called aśrutaniśrita.
We have now dealt with the types of mati-jñāna (sensuous cognition). It is not possible to give all the possible types. Only the most apparent ones can be enumerated. The types vary according to the nature of the perceptual cognition which can be infinitefold. Perception of the same object varies with each individual, and so its types cannot be enumerated in full.
EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE AGAMAS
SRUTA-JÑANA (SCRIPTURAL OR VERBAL KNOWLEDGE)
Śruta-jñāna originally meant knowledge embodied in the scriptures.3 Knowledge of the scriptures was also called śruta-jñāna. Umāsvāti says that śruta-jñāna is preceded by mati (sensuous cognition) and falls into two categories viz. angabahya (other than the original scripture) and angapraviṣṭa (included in the original scripture) which again are manifold and twelvefold respectively and comprise the whole of the Jaina scripture. He further says that mati-jñāna (sensuous cognition) cognizes only what is present while the śruta-jñāna comprehends what is present, past and future. The Jainas regarded their scriptures to contain all the truths, much in the same way as the Brahmins considered their Śruti or the Vedas to possess all possible knowledge. Such was the conception of śruta-jñāna in the beginning.
The Avasyakaniryukti says that the types of śruta-jñāna are as many as the number of letters and their various combinations, and as such it is not possible to enumerate all the types. It then enumerates fourteen salient characteristics of śruta-jñāna viz. akṣara (alphabet), samjñin (discursive or cognitive or scriptural), samyak (right), sädika (having beginning), saparyavasita (having end), gamika (containing repetitions) and angapraviṣṭa (included in the original scripture) with
42.
1 ANir, 942.
2evam bajjha-jjhamtara-nimitta-vaicittao maibahuttam kimcimmetta-visesena bhijjamāņam puno 'nantam.--ViBh, 311.
3 Cf. SthSu, 71 (21); ADv, 3 et seq.; TSu, I. 20 and the Bhāṣya.
4 See TSuBh, I. 20. For Kundakunda's classification see Pañcastikāyasăra,
sampratakālaviṣayam
5 Cf.
utpanna-vinaṣṭā-rthagrāhakam matijñānaṁ śruta-jñānaṁ tu trikalaviṣayam utpannavinaṣṭa-nutpanna-rthagrahakam iti-Ibid. 6 ANir, 17-18.
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