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II]
SRUTA-JNĀNA
their opposites viz. anaksara, asañjñin etc. Inhaling, exhaling, spitting etc. are given as instances of anakşara-śruta so far as they are indices of the mental dispositions of the person. Eight qualities of the intellect are recognized as necessary for the acquisition of śrutajñäna. They are: desire for hearing, repeated questioning, (attentive) hearing, grasping, enquiry, conviction, retention and right action. The Āvaśyakaniryukti thus recognizes the words as well as other symbols such as physical gestures as śruta and also lays down the means of the acquisition of śruta-jñāna. It, however, does not state the meanings of all the fourteen characteristics. It is in the Nandi Sūtra that we find the meanings clearly stated.*
In the Nandi Sutra, aksaraśruta is given as threefold: sarjñākşara, vyañjanākṣara and labdhyakşara. The shape of the letter, in other words, the script or alphabet is samjñākşara; sound of the letter, in other words, the spoken letter is vyanjanākşara; labdhyaksara is possessed only by one who is competent to learn alphabet (aksaralabdhika) and can be possible through all the five sense-organs as well as the mind." As regards anakşaraśruta, the Nandi Sutra gives no new information. The first two categories of akşaraśruta are only material symbols written or spoken, and as such are called dravya-śruta. The labdhyaksara is a kind of knowledge, and is śruta-jñāna proper (bhāvaśruta). It can be produced through any of the sense-organs and the mind. If it is a sound that conditions it, then it is produced through the sense-organ of ear. If it is a coloured shape that conditions it, then it is produced through the sense-organ of sight. If it is a smell that conditions it, then it is produced through the sense-organ of smell. And so on. Only those who possess the gift of language can have labdhyaksara. When one hears a sound or sees a coloured shape, there arises in the wake of the perceptual cognition, a cognition couched in appropriate words composed of syllables (akşara) following the conventional vocabulary. This cognition is called labdhyaksara.? Knowledge of the conventional vocabulary and conscious application of it are the conditions of śruta-jñāna. In other words, conscious exercise of the
1 ANir, 19. 2 Ibid., 20.
3 Ibid., 22. 4 Haribhadra in his Vytti on NSü, 38 (37 according to Hastimalla Muni's edition) says that although the characteristics of akşara and anakşara include all other characteristics, yet they are enumerated separately for only the pupils of slow understanding (na ca bheda-dvayād evā 'vyutpannamatīnām śeşabhedāvagamah).
5 NSü, 38.
6 Cf. tatra samjñā-vyañjanākşare dravyaśrutam, labdhyaksaram punar bhāvaśrutam, labdher jñānarūpatvāt.-NSūVy on sūtra 39.
? Cf. sabdádigrahaņa-samanantaram indriya-manonimittam śrutagranthanusāri šāńkha ityādyakşarānuşaktam vijñānam utpadyate, tac că 'neka prakāram, tad yathä śrotrendriya-labdhyakşaram ityādi-NSUV? on sūtra 39.
JP-7
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