Article: Knowledge

Links

Types of knowledge

Hemant Shah outlines the types of knowledge in the Jain faith on the website of the Jainism Literature Center, associated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/article/jnana.htm

Knowledge – Jñāna (part 1)

Shugan Chand Jain discusses the concept of knowledge in these study notes from the International School for Jain Studies, provided on the HereNow4U website. This is the first part of the study notes on this topic; the second part is also available.

http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=66204

Knowledge – Jñāna (part 2)

Shugan Chand Jain discusses the concept of knowledge in these study notes from the International School for Jain Studies, provided on the HereNow4U website. This is the second part of the study notes on this topic; the first part is also available.

http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=66205

'The Doctrine'

Colette Caillat, A. N. Upadhye and Bal Patil outline the central tenets of the Jain religion in this chapter from their 1974 work Jainism, including:

• the 'three gems'
• knowledge
• doctrine of 'truth from many viewpoints'
• tattvas
• soul
• karma
• leśyās
• cosmology
• cycles of time
• Jinas.

The online version is provided on the HereNow4U website.

http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=77149

Jain doctrine

Jainworld.com gives a detailed explanation of key elements of Jain doctrine, including the:

• three gems
• concept of knowledge
• lay conduct
• vows
• penance.

http://www.jainworld.com/jainbooks/firstep-1/ratna.htm

Statue of Sarasvatī

Sarasvatī, goddess of knowledge, music and the arts, is worshipped by several Indian religions, including Jainism. She is often featured in works of art, ranging from manuscripts to temples. This picture of a 12th-century statue is provided by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.

http://www.asia.si.edu/devi/fulldevi/deviCat3.htm

Figure of a vidyā-devī

An 11th-century carving of one of the 16 vidyā-devīs – goddesses of magical knowledge – held at the British Museum in London.

http://goo.gl/Deuhb

Mahā-mānasī

A white marble sculpture of Mahā-mānasī on the ceiling of a corridor in the Vimala Vasahi temple at Mount Abu in Gujarat. She is one of the 16 vidyā-devīs – goddesses of magical knowledge. The Digital South Asia Library at the University of Chicago in the USA provides this black-and-white photograph.

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/aiis/aiis_search.html?depth=Get+Details&id=16019

Possible vidyā-devīs

These figures sculpted in relief in the Mahāvīra temple at Kumbharia, Gujarat may be two vidyā-devīs and other goddesses. The 16 vidyā-devīs are Jain goddesses of magical knowledge. The Digital South Asia Library at the University of Chicago in the USA provides this black-and-white photograph.

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/aiis/aiis_search.html?depth=Get+Details&id=29839

Vidyā-devīs at Ranakpur

The 16 vidyā-devīs – goddesses of magical knowledge – are the largest figurative sculptures on the intricately carved domed ceiling of the temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan. Click on the black-and-white photograph provided by the Digital South Asia Library at the University of Chicago in the USA to see the sculpture in more detail.

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/aiis/aiis_search.html?depth=Get+Details&id=30475

Ceiling at Ranakpur

The ornate domed ceiling of the main hall – maṇḍapa – of the Ādinātha temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan. The large figures are the goddesses of magical knowledge – vidyā-devīs – while small sculptures of sitting Jinas are arranged in rows around the concentric circles of the dome. The Digital South Asia Library at the University of Chicago in the USA provides this black-and-white photograph.

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/aiis/aiis_search.html?depth=Get+Details&id=30509

Detail of the dome at Ranakpur

Detail of the magnificent carvings of the dome in the main hall – maṇḍapa – of the temple to Ādinātha at Ranakpur in Rajasthan. The figures include the vidyā-devīs – goddesses of magical knowledge – and other deities. The Digital South Asia Library at the University of Chicago in the USA provides this black-and-white photograph.

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/aiis/aiis_search.html?depth=Get+Details&id=30510

Shrine to Gaṇeśa

A portable Jain shrine to the popular deity Gaṇeśa. With an elephant head, Gaṇeśa is associated with wealth, knowledge of all kinds and wisdom. Details of this shrine are provided by Christie's of London, where it was auctioned in 2009.

http://goo.gl/abvKAA

eLibrary Links

Pandit Sukhlalji's Commentary on Tattvārtha Sūtra – chapters 1 to 5

This is the first five chapters of K. K. Dixit's English translation of Pandit Sukhlalji's Commentary on Tattvārtha Sūtra of Vācaka Umāsvāti.

Accompanied by the original text of the Tattvārtha-sūtra and its English translation, this study is of great interest because of its extensive commentary. This lucidly discusses all the implications of the text.

The front matter, chapters six to ten and the index are in separate files.

Read this in the e-Library

Pandit Sukhlalji's Commentary on Tattvārtha Sūtra – chapters 6 to 10

This is chapters six to ten of K. K. Dixit's English translation of Pandit Sukhlalji's Commentary on Tattvārtha Sūtra of Vācaka Umāsvāti.

Accompanied by the original text of the Tattvārtha-sūtra and its English translation, this study is of great interest because of its extensive commentary. This lucidly discusses all the implications of the text.

The front matter and the first five chapters, and the index are in separate files.

Read this in the e-Library