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Types of jnana
In Jainism, Jñāna (Gyan, knowledge) is mainly of five types, called Panch Jnana:
- Mati Jnana (મતિ જ્ઞાન / Mati-jñāna)
- Ordinary knowledge through senses and mind. - Includes seeing, hearing, remembering, thinking, guessing, reasoning, etc. - It can be right or wrong, depending on our inner purity.
- Shruta Jnana (શ્રુત જ્ઞાન / Śruta-jñāna)
- Knowledge gained by hearing or reading – from scriptures, gurus, teachers, satsang. - All study of Jain Agams / Shastras comes under Shruta Jnana. - Also can be right or wrong, if understood wrongly.
- Avadhi Jnana (અવધિ જ્ઞાન / Avadhi-jñāna)
- Clairvoyant knowledge – direct knowledge of physical objects (rūpī dravya) without using senses or scriptures. - Limited by distance, time, objects (not infinite). - Found in some devas, narakis, and advanced sadhus.
- Manahparyaya Jnana (મનઃપર્યય જ્ઞાન / Manaḥparyāya-jñāna)
- Telepathic knowledge – knowing the thoughts and mental states of others. - Very high-level spiritual stage, only some great ascetics attain it. - More pure and higher than Avadhi Jnana.
- Kevala Jnana (કેવળ જ્ઞાન / Kevala-jñāna)
- Perfect, infinite, complete knowledge of all substances and all modes of past, present, future. - No mistake, no limit, no obstruction. - Attained by Arihants after destroying all Jnanavarniya karma etc. - This is the highest goal of the soul.
Additional important points:
- Indirect (Paroksha) Jnana:
- Direct (Pratyaksha) Jnana:
- Both Digambar and Shwetambar accept these same five types of Jnana; only small technical details differ, the main concept is the same.
You can read a simple explanation of these five types of Jnana here
