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Kinds of Knowledge
Prama and Apramã are two technical words which are frequently used by Indian Logicians. Prama is the appropriate experience (yatharthanubhava) and aprama is inappropriate experience (ayaṭhārthanubhava). Prama is the fruit of Pramana, i.e., valid means of knowledge. 5 It is correct knowledge. For Nyaya Prama is called Purusabodha. Vedanta and Mimānsā support this view of Nyaya and they call pramā, anubhūti or samvit.' Cārvāka and Jaina call it Jñāna, while Buddhists define it as satya-samvṛtti.R
Nirvikalpaka (indeterminate) and Savikalpaka (determinate) are two types of knowledge. Jain, Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta have are enunciated this kind of classification of knowledge. Savikalpaka knowledge is of word and its meaning together or is a qualified knowledge while nirvikalpaka is of only meaning or is unqualified knowledge, i.e., pure sensation. Besides, this knowledge is also divided into laukika (vyāvahārika) and alaukik (Parmarthika). Laukikais pertaining to worldly objects and alaukika to God, etc.
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Aparokṣa (immediate) and parokṣa (Mediated) are also adjudged the two types of knowledge. They are also called direct (pratyakṣa) and indirect (paroksa). To Jainas knowledge is of 5 types - Mati, śrutu, avadhi, manaḥ- paryaya and kevala. Mati (Sensuous) and śmta (scriptural) knowledge are put under paroksa, and the other three avadhi (Visual intuition), manah-paryaya (intuition of mental- modes or telepathy and Kevala (perfect intuition) are classified under pratyakṣa.11
The knowledge is pratykṣa or paroksa accordingly as it is born with out or with the help of an external instrument different form the self. But in order to bring their theory of knowledge in line with the theories of other systems of thought, the latter Jain thinkers accorded the status of pratykṣa to the knowledge produced by the sense-organs also. Jinabhadra designates as samvyavahārika-pratykṣa (empirically direct and immediate) the knowledge produced by the sense-organs and the mind. This gradual reorientation was due to the non-absolutistic attitude and its two corollaries, viz. the doctrines of different attitudes (nayas) and the sevenfold predication (Saptabhagi) which formed the nucleus of the development of Jaina thought. 12
Knowledge and Naya
Knowledge, according to the Jainas is of two kinds- Pramana and
तुलसी प्रज्ञा अंक 124
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