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TATTVASANGRAHA: CHAPTER XXVI.
not be 'omniscient'; as he would have no knowledge of things known to persons other than those, who may be contemporaneous with him, but not in close proximity to him. By knowing only a part, one does not know the whole; if he did, there would be an absurdity.
As a matter of fact, it is not possible to comprehend even all those things that may be known to all his contemporaries who may be in close proximity to him. Because there can be no comprehension of what is far oft and what is known to people having no connection with him.
The following might be urged-It may be that all men approach the Tathāgata simultaneously, and whatever questions they put, He answers them all.-50 that the people do come to know what is known to that Omniscient Person.
The answer to this is that there can be no coming together, etc. etc.nowhere is it possible to bring together men of the past, present and future, -or those inhabiting the regions of Heaven, the Nether World and the World of Mortal Beings.
Or, the three 'regions' may be taken as standing for the 'Imaginary, Objective' and 'Subjective 'Regions.-(3194-3195)
The following might be urged-If the Omniscient Person did not possess the power to know the things known to all men,how could He have the power of comprehending even some of those things? And yet He did have the power to comprehend some of those things; hence we conclude that He did possess the power to know all things.
The answer to this is as follows
TEXTS (3196-3198).
"A MAN WHO KNOWS LITTLE CAN DELUDE A FEW MEN, TO THE EXTENT THAT, HAVING THEIR MIND DELUDED BY DEVOTION, THEY COME TO ACCEPT HIM AS OMNISCIENT. THROUGH THE ART OF CHIROMANCY, SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN BATEN, WHAT IS BEING THOUGHT OF, WHAT LIES WITHIN A MAN'S FIST AND SO FORTH, THOUGH THEY ARE ENTIRELY DEVOID OF ANY KNOW. LEDGE OF Dharma AND COGNATE MATTERS. SIMILARLY, PEOPLE EXPERT IN THE ARTS OF ILLUSION, MAGIC, ETC. DECEIVE AN IGNORANT MAN;-BY WHICH THEY APPEAR
TO BE OMNISCIENT.”-(3196-3198)
COMMENTARY
By knowing only a few supersensuous things, a man cannot be regarded As possessing knowledge of Dharma and Adharma-because such a reasoning would be inconclusive in view of the case of men expert in chiromancy, magic and so forth. For instance by the use of certain incantations and medicinal
