On Meditations for Kevala

Summary

P.C. Das Gupta’s essay “On Meditations for Kevala” explores the Jain concept of kevala-jñāna—omniscience or perfect knowledge—by situating it within broader Indian philosophical and religious traditions. The author begins by noting that Jainism, like other ancient systems, differentiates between the self (jīva) and the non‑self (ajīva) and posits that liberation arises from the right knowledge, faith and conduct. He explains that kevala is not merely intellectual omniscience but the culmination of spiritual discipline that eradicates karma and results in infinite perception and bliss. To elucidate this, the essay discusses the Jain epistemological categories of direct knowledge (pratyakṣa) and indirect knowledge (parokṣa) and the doctrine of saptabhaṅgī (sevenfold predication), which expresses the multifaceted nature of reality. Das Gupta traces parallels between Jain concepts and Upaniṣadic ideas of self-realisation and notes that early Tīrthaṅkaras, such as Ṛṣabha and Pārśva, achieved kevala-jñāna after extended periods of meditation. He also draws connections with Buddhist notions of omniscience and the Vedāntic brahman, arguing that Jainism differs in stressing individual effort and moral purity. The essay emphasises the role of dhyāna (meditation) in calming passions and focusing the mind; it outlines the stages of meditation prescribed in the Ācārāṅga Sūtra and subsequent texts, such as internal reflection on the impurity of the body and the transience of worldly pleasures. Through these practices, practitioners gradually eliminate the influx of karmic particles (āsrava) and facilitate their shedding (nirjarā), leading to kevala and eventual liberation (mokṣa). Das Gupta contrasts this with yogic practices aimed solely at psychic powers and warns against mistaking such siddhis for omniscience. The essay concludes by asserting that kevala-jñāna represents the highest human potentiality attainable through self‑restraint, non‑violence and constant introspection.