list what was every science related thing the Tīrthaṅkaras were made aware of from attaining omniscience?
In Jain tradition there is no finite “list” of all the science-related things that the Tīrthaṅkaras came to know after attaining keval‑jñān (omniscience). According to Jain philosophy:
- Keval‑jñān = Infinite, complete knowledge
- A Tīrthaṅkara knows all substances (dravya) and all their modes (paryāya) of past, present and future, directly and simultaneously. - That includes everything humans would call science: mathematics, physics, biology, astronomy, psychology, technology, subtle karmic sciences, etc. - Because this knowledge is literally anant (infinite), scriptures do not try to enumerate “all topics” or “all sciences” they know; that would be impossible and also unnecessary for liberation.
- What the scriptures focus on instead
Rather than cataloguing all sciences, Jain Āgamas and commentaries emphasize: - The four anant-guṇas that awaken: - anant‑jñān (infinite knowledge) - anant‑darshan (infinite perception) - anant‑sukha (infinite bliss) - anant‑vīrya (infinite energy) ( jainknowledge.com) - The role of a Tīrthaṅkara: to establish the tīrtha (fourfold saṅgh) and preach the path of liberation, not to create worldly sciences as their main work.
- Traditional “vidyā / kalā” vs. omniscience
Sometimes people confuse two things:
- Earlier “arts and sciences” taught by R̥ṣabha (Ṛṣabhadeva) - Jain texts say the 1st Tīrthaṅkara R̥ṣabha taught 72 arts to men and 64 kalās (arts/crafts) to women – things like agriculture, writing, trade, music, armory, etc. ( jainknowledge.com) - Different Digambar/Śvetāmbara lists exist, and they show that Tīrthaṅkaras do know worldly disciplines and sometimes organize society with them. - But these lists are examples of social organization, not the full range of what they know by omniscience.
- Keval‑jñān itself - From the moment of keval‑jñān, the Tīrthaṅkara knows infinitely more than any list of 64, 72, or 1000 vidyās. - So scriptures don’t say “they know physics, chemistry, genetics, etc.” one by one – that would reduce infinite knowledge to human classification.
- Digambar vs. Śvetāmbara viewpoints
On this point there is no real disagreement:
- Both traditions accept that a Tīrthaṅkara, after keval‑jñān, has sarvajñatā / sarvākāra‑jñān – knowledge of all aspects of all reality. - Differences are only in: - narrative details of each Tīrthaṅkara’s life, - how many and which kalās/vidyās R̥ṣabha taught, - not in the scope of omniscience itself.
- Why we can’t “list every science”
From a Jain standpoint:
- Any “science” is just a human classification of certain modes (paryāyas) of substances. - The Tīrthaṅkara knows all modes directly; whether humans call some portion “biology” or “quantum physics” is irrelevant at their level. - Therefore, the most accurate answer is: > After keval‑jñān, a Tīrthaṅkara is aware of every possible knowable fact about every substance and mode in the entire universe, across all time. Trying to list those “science-related things” would be like trying to count to infinity.
- Practical emphasis in Jain texts
Even though they know everything, Jain scriptures emphasize that Tīrthaṅkaras teach mainly:
- Tattvas (soul, non-soul, bondage, stoppage, shedding, liberation, etc.) - Right faith, right knowledge, right conduct - Vows, disciplines, and path to mokṣa
Because for Jain Dharma, the purpose of omniscience is to show the path out of saṁsāra, not to build human civilization’s scientific catalogue—though that knowledge is certainly included in their omniscience.
If you like, I can next outline how Jain texts classify knowledge (the five jñānas and various vidyās) to show where “science” roughly fits in traditional Jain categories.