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50
EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE ĀGAMAS
[CH.
gift of language is the indispensable condition of śruta-jñāna. The cognitions which, in spite of their being couched in words, do not involve conscious attempt on the part of the cognizer at application of vocabulary, fall in the category of mati-jñāna (sensuous cognition) and not śruta-jñāna. Of course this distinction was stressed by later logicians.1
The samjñi-śruta is considered in three ways, inasmuch as there are these three varieties of samjñā (cognitional activity): () discursive thinking that takes into account the past, the present and the future, (2) consciousness that can discriminate between what is to be avoided and what is to be accepted for the maintenance of life, but cannot think of the past or the future, and (3) consciousness due to knowledge of the right scriptures (samyak śruta). The first is called (dirgha)kāliki (lasting for a long time), the second hetūpadeśiki (discriminating) and the third drstivādopadeśiki (backed by scriptural knowledge). Those who possess these samjñās are called sarjñins. The śruta-jñāna possessed by these samjñins is samjñi-śruta. The asamjñins also fall in three categories. The mind is the organ of thinking. The more developed the mind is the more one is capable of thinking. Those whose mind is weak and incapable of thinking fall in the first category of asamjñins. Those who are totally devoid of mind and live on mere instincts fall in the second category of asarjñins. Again those who believe in false scriptures and thus possess perverted knowledge fall in the third category of asamjñins.5 śruta-jñāna possessed by the asarjñins is asamjñi-śruta.
The twelvefold ganipitaka (scripture compiled by the ganadharas) containing Ācārānga, Sūtrakytānga etc. is samyak-śruta (right scripture) while the other books such as Bhārata, Rāmāyana, the Vedas etc. are enumerated as mithyā-śruta (false scriptures). It is further said that the samyaktva (rightness) or mithyātva (wrongness) depends upon the
1 Cf. sanketakālapravsttam śrutagrantha-sambandhinam vā ghatādi-sabdam anusstya vācya-väcaka-bhāvena samyojya 'ghato ghatah' ityädi antarjalpakāram antaḥsabdollekhänvitam indriyādinimittam yaj jñānam udeti tac chrutajñānam iti-Byhadvytti on Vibh, 100 ; see also JBP, p. 6. $ 15.
2 See NSū, 39 and its Vrtti by Haribhadra. We are giving only the central idea.
3 Cf. yasya nästi iha 'poho märgaņā ga veşaņā cintä. vimarśaḥ so 'samjni 'ti labhyate, ayam ca sammūrchima-pañcendriya-vikalendriyadir jñeyah, alpamano-labdhitväd abhāvāc ca... so 'yam kālikyupadeśena---NSüV, on sūtra 40 (39 according to Hastimalla Muni's edition).
4 yasya nästi abhisandhäraņa pūrvikā karanasaktih so 'samjñi 'ti labhyate, ayam cai 'kendriya-prthivyādir avaseyo, manolabdhi-rabitatvät......so 'yam hetū-'padeśena-Ibid.
5 Cf. na hi mithyādņsteḥ samjñānam asti, hitähitapravstti-nivsttyabhāvāt. ... asamjñiśrutasya kşayopaśamenā 'samjñi 'ti labhyate... SO'yam drstivādopadeśena.-Ibid.
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