Keval Gyan - Omniscience

-By Dr. C. Devakumar

Let me summarise some of the agamic knowledge on the subject.

Yog, upayog and Keval gyan

Yog is physico-psychic act of the bonded soul. Upayog in agamic lexicon means the cognitive attribute of the soul. Almost all Indic languages have absorbed it to mean “utility or purpose”. So our yog must bring us proximic (upa) to our pure soul. That is the upayog of yog. That is verily purusharth. Keval gyan and Keval darshan are pure twin paryaya’s (modifications) of the upayog. It is being said that Keval darshan or the modification of perception comprehends one’s own soul (svaprakashak) and Keval gyan is the modification which measures others (par prakashak). However about this distinction, I need more light from other members in the board. Generally, differentiable measurement is called gyan and integrated view is called darshan in agam. Together, gyan and darshan complement the function of upayog. Incidentally, the utility of yog(a) (=) is to reach pure upayoga.

The meaning of Keval

The agamic meaning of Keval is alone and independent. In other words, it is a process not executed through any other substance including sense organs. Neither it depends on the aid of any substance for it to express. Interestingly, keval has assumed common usage in Hindi to mean “only or lone”. The distorted usage nowadays in Tamil is the “contribution’ of medieval culture towards discrediting this noble term. Kaivalya is the state of pure soul illuminating as it is through keval “radiations”.

There is another agamic meaning too. It is the state being pursued by all sages.

Keval gyan is a modification

This might be the reason that it was personified by poets as a woman (for the wavering and perhaps dazzling nature) and Kevali is said to be artha naarishvar which term has now taken illogical connotations.

If Keval gyan is a modification, is it then dynamic?

The very term modification or change refers to dynamism. In that sense or in paryayartika viewpoint, it is dynamic but its content at every moment (samaya) does not change and in that sense (dravyartika view point) it is “static’ = constant. It is complete in all aspects. It keeps refreshing instantly and constantly. Quite often, we get saddled with the artificial spatial and temporal boundaries (three worlds and three tenses – past, present and future) and try to comprehend within these boundaries. Kaivalya or Keval state does not depend on these divisions. To measure any substance or its infinite paryayas, it doesn’t need that substance to be present in that paryaya at that instant. It is not a shooting camara which needs an object to be shot at. In fact Keval gyan even does not approach any substance for comprehension. It is vision par excellence. In fact, its reach is even beyond alokakash, the empty space. That is why it is supreme, sacred and incomparable. One cannot fathom Kevali state except being in that state.

Keval gyan is both ultramicroscopic and inframacroscopic.

Let me explain what I try to convey. To measure distant objects we need telescope and to measure microparticles, we need microscope. These physical observations are conditioned by the Heisenberg limit or popularly known as Heisenberg uncertainty principle which sets a certain factor of uncertainty in our physical measurements due to the interaction of matter during observation. That is why our sensory knowledge too is conditioned by this limitation. Overcoming this limitation is to pursue Keval gyan which is para-sensory. For every instrument, there is a term called resolving power. Higher the resolving power, superior is an instrument. Here is Keval gyan, the supreme ‘tool” of the pure soul, which has both the reach and depth beyond the comprehension of all sensory and related knowledge’s. Its resolution, speed and canvass are beyond imagination.

How does keval gyan knows the events yet to unfold?

It is like asking a farmer how does he know this seed will produce this particular crop and it would yield its produce in such and such time etc. It is in the seed and a lay farmer can know it! Each substance has grains of information encoded and the Kevali knows all instantly and constantly. Otherwise, He is not Omniscient.

Since Kevali knows all about my future, why should I do purusharth?

This question has been raised now and then. The real meaning of purusharth is to make your effort manly and meaningfully (purush + arth). The other name for pure soul is purusha (puru = supreme, grand sha = state). Again spoken language has adapted this agamic lexicon Purush to mean a person having valour, intelligent, happiness and wealth. Kevali has all infinitely.

It is a common knowledge in Jain dharma that you are your master. So just because Kevali knows my course of life in no way would help me to remain idle. Idleness is not the nature of any substance. Of course, if one understands by purusharth is to pursue lesser and mortal goals, it is one’s choice. Here again Kevali does not come in the way. Bhavitavyata or the future course is in one’s own hand whether your impartial neighbour knows it or not. Further more, doing things other than noble till the appointed time arrives does not speak high of one’s attitude as well. So I humbly believe that such discussion would not serve our purusharth.

Jainism and Science

By Dinesh Vora

An inquisitive man once came to Srimad Rajchandra and asked him, "Is the earth round like a dish or round like a ball as science claims?"

Srimad put a counter question to him, "Tell me how does it hurt you if it is round like a dish or round like a ball?"

The man said, "Well it really does not hurt me at all whatever way it is."

Srimad told him, "If it does not hurt you, then why don't you just trust the knowledge of Jineshwar Bhagwan which reallly effects you and get on with your work?"

The debate over the differences between Science and Jainism often times keeps bothering an honest Jain. A stiff stand based on blind faith against the proven and tested science does not lend credibility or an assurance to the future generation of Jains.

Jainism believes that only Kevalis and Teerthankaras possessed cent percent pure true knowledge. Teerthankaras communicated in their Samvasaranas or religious congregations through the divya dhwani or divine sound also known to be OMkar dhwani to the samsaari souls of the universe of one, two, three, four, or five senses. Though the divine sound could be felt and go through any soul of any language, or sense. However, interpretation and comprehension of what lord said depended on the capacity and stage of development of that individual soul. A copy from another copy is somewhat distorted and is not same as absolute original. A word round can very well be interpreted to be believed as the dish like round by the people of that time. Someone today is very likely to interpret it as a round like ball.

Science and Jainism are complementary to each other. With the changing times and better facts known through modern science, Jainism as we know will have to be flexible to stay credible, and reliable. We are not changing the original truth, we are only modifying our understanding and interpretation to align itself more with proven, tested, verified scientific data and facts.

It is also true that advancing science of today may prove itself inaccurate tomorrow. Jainism always asks its followers not to accept anything blindly but to thoroughly think, test, reason and experience the facts before accepting and implementing. Often times one has to ask himself "Have I understood the subject matter or what the other persons have been telling me correctly?" What if you misunderstood something and then twisted and misrepresented the fact, though ignorantly? The burden of accomplishing the absolute truth is entirely yours. The soul in its' search for that eternal blissful position will have to keep on acquiring knowledge until there is no doubt left in his mind. Even if that ultimate state of the soul may not be achievable in this lifetime, one can strive to accomplish the maximum true knowledge through true preceptors, true scriptures, conscientious self-effort and self-help.

It is known in many cases that great saints brought the knowledge of their past lives with them. It is the true knowledge that transmigrates with the soul and not the material world until that knowledge fully blossoms into Keval gnaan or state of Moksha.