A Mechanistic View of the Jaina Omniscience (Kevala-jnana)

S. Gajapathi’s article, "A Mechanistic View of the Jaina Omniscience (Kevala-Jnana)," presents a scientific interpretation of how liberated souls attain supreme knowledge in Jaina philosophy. The author, drawing from his professional background in optics and physics, argues that omniscience is not a mystical phenomenon but a mechanistic process rooted in the inherent properties of matter and soul. The article’s genesis is traced to the author’s work at a spectacle lens factory in Madras, where he studied the theory of light, lens polishing, astronomy, and atomic physics. This scientific background informed his attempt to understand the concept of *ajiva dravyas* in Jaina texts. The immediate impetus for the essay came from G. R. Jaina’s *Cosmology, Old and New* and A. S. Jain’s translation of the *Sarvartha-siddhi* titled *Reality*. The author also acknowledges the influence of several Jaina *acaryas*, including Kunda Kunda, Amrta-candra, Padmaprabha, Maladharideva, Jayasena, and Subhacandra, though their specific contributions are detailed in an epilogue. The manuscript was initially presented to Sri M. H. Shah of Hindusthan Aircrafts Ltd. and the Nirvanasram, Sravana Belgola. The author intended for it to be reviewed by Dr. A. N. Upadhye, a renowned Jaina scholar, to gauge concurrence with his thesis. Dr. Upadhye’s response, relayed through Sri S. D. Vandakudre, praised the author’s grasp of certain Jaina tenets but found the treatment of more obscure topics to be equally obscure. The *Jain Journal* editors, however, chose to publish the essay, focusing on these complex subjects and condensing the more commonplace material. The core argument is that Jaina philosophy describes a mechanistic theory for acquiring extra-sensory knowledge, devoid of mystery. The article begins by defining *sat* and *dravya* according to the *Tattvartha Sutra*, establishing that existence (*sat*) is a composite of origination (*utpada*), destruction (*vyaya*), and permanence (*dhrauvya*). The six substances (*dravyas*)—*jiva* (soul), *pudgala* (matter), *akasa* (space), *dharma* (medium of motion), *adharma* (medium of rest), and *kalanus* (time-particles)—are in a constant state of modification. This is explained through the concept of an inherent, imperceptible stationary wave-motion within every substance, driven by perpetual energy. This wave-motion is the core of all change. The article distinguishes between two types of stationary wave-motion: *artha-paryaya* and *vyaijana-paryaya*. *Aguru-laghu-sad-guni-hani-vrtti-paryaya*, or *artha-paryaya*, is a common, extremely subtle wave-motion present in all six substances. It manifests in six different wave-lengths, from a part of a *sankhyat* to a part of *anantaguni*. This wave-motion simultaneously fulfills the six principal common attributes of all substances: *astitva* (existence), *vastutva* (functionality), *dravyatva* (changeability), *prameyatva* (knowability), *aguru-laghutva guna* (individuality), and *pradesatva* (spaciality). The author explains that *artha-paryaya* exhibits these attributes by reflecting external waves, which the knower tunes up, thereby making the substance an object of knowledge (*prameyatva*). The omniscient soul, by tuning up the energy-waves originating from its own special stationary wave-motion, *vyaijana-paryaya*, perceives all substances and their attributes. The article concludes by noting that four of the six substances—*akasa*, *dharma*, *adharma*, and *kalanus*—possess only *artha-paryaya*. They are considered *niskriyavan* (inactive) and eternally independent, serving as passive mediums for the movement and modification of other

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.