• Short answer: Anupurvi is a type of karma that governs the kind of rebirth a soul takes after death. It does not itself produce knowledge. The knowledge a Jain soul can have depends on its purification from karmas, and ultimate, unlimited knowledge (kevala jnana) is attained only by a perfectly liberated or arihant soul. The knower in this framework is the soul (jiva), whose own consciousness shines as knowledge becomes unobstructed only when karmas are shed.

• What anupurvi does

- It shapes the next life’s realm (deva, manushya, tiryak, or naraka) and the basic form of that birth. - It does not create or grant cognitive content or instruments of knowledge.

• What knowledge exists in Jainism (context for your question)

- Jainism recognizes five kinds of knowledge (panch jnana): mati jnana (sensory/mental), shruta jnana (scriptural/verbal), avadhi jnana (clairvoyant), manah-paryaya jnana (telepathic), and kevala jnana (omniscience). Kevala jnana is the perfect knowledge and is attained only by purified souls such as Arihants or Siddhas. Anupurvi karmas, by obscuring certain aspects of the soul, prevent such knowledge until they are shed. You can read more about these ideas here: and about the five types of knowledge here .

• On the knower/acquirer of knowledge

- The knower is the jiva (soul). When all jnana-avaraniya karmas are dissolved, the soul manifests kevala jnana. Before that, the soul can have mati, shruta, avadhi, or manaḥparyaya jnana to varying degrees, depending on its karmic purification.