Mati-Jnana knows with the help of Dravya-Indriyas-- the bodily organs namely tongue, nose, eyes, ears, touch and Dravya-Mana--the material mind situated in heart in the shape of an eight-petalled open lotus. For example, he whose eye-sight is weak though sees through his eyes only but sees only after putting on eye-glass and can not see without eye-glass. Similarly, soul's knowing power is feeble, he knows by his knowledge only but knows only with the instrumentality of Dravya-Indriyas & Mana; can not know without them. And even when the eyes are alright but if some defect develops in the eye-glass then he can not see or sees unclearly or sees differently; similarly, one's Kshayopashama-Jnan is as it is but if the matter-particles (atoms) of Dravya-Indriya and Mana turn otherwise then he can not know or knows unclearly or knows differently; because, there exists cause and effect relationship between the modification of atoms of Dravya Indriya & Mana and Mati-Jnana. Therefore, according to their modifications the modification of knowledge also takes place. As for example, in childhood and oldage of human beings, Dravya-Indriyas and Mana, etc. are feeble, then knowing power is also found feeble; and further as owing to the instrumentality of cold atmosphere, etc. the particles of senses of touch etc. and mind act differently, then either nothing is known or a very little is known.
Further, Nimitta-Naimittika (cause and effect) relationship is found also in-between knowledge and external objects. For instance, if the particles (atoms) of darkness or the particles, forming cataract, etc. or the opaque particles of stone, etc. come before eyes then eyes can not see. And if a red glass comes before eyes then all appears red. If green glass comes before eyes then all appears green. Thus, erroneous knowing takes place.
Further, if telescope, eye-glass, etc. come before eyes then the things appear in magnified form. If particles of light, water, plain glass come before eyes then also things appear as they are. Similarly, one should know about other senses and mind also appropriately. Owing to the use of incantation, etc. or owing to the drunkenness, etc. or owing to the Nimitta of ghost, etc. either no knowing or a very little knowing or knowing differently takes place. In this way, this knowledge is dependent on external things also.
Moreover, whatever is known through this knowledge is known unclearly; from remote position knows in one way, from vicinity knows in other way, instantly knows in a different way, if there be delay in knowing then knows differently, knows some objects with suspicion, knows some objects erroneously, knows some objects a little only - in all these ways clear knowing is not possible.
In this way, Mati Jnana (sensory knowledge) functions depending upon the medium of senses and mind. It knows through the medium of those senses only such molecules of matter which lie in the area within the reach of senses, are present in gross form and are knowable by self. Even in those molecules, the modes of touch, etc. of some molecules only are known through different-different senses in different-different moments of time. And through the mind it knows quite unclearly a little bit about the material and immaterial substances and their modifications of past, present and future knowable to oneself of the remote areas or of the nearer areas. That too, it knows only that thing which has been deduced through deductive-reasoning. And some times it knows about the non-existing things through his own conjecture. For example, as in dream or in conscious state also it contemplates about such things, forms, etc. which are perhaps found nowhere and believes them contrary to their nature. In this way, knowing takes place through mind. So the knowledge which functions through senses and mind is called Mati-Jnana (sensory knowledge).
Further, the one-sensed beings viz. earth, water, fire, air and vegetables (plants) have the knowledge of touch only; earth worm, conch, etc. two-sensed beings have the knowledge of touch and taste; ant, bug; etc. three-sensed beings have the knowledge of touch, taste and smell; large-black-bee, fly, moths, etc. four-sensed beings have the knowledge of touch, taste, smell and colour; crocodile, cow, pigeon, etc. animals (sub-human beings) and human beings, celestial beings, infernal beings -these are five-sensed beings; they have the knowledge of touch, taste, smell, colour and words (sound). In animals (Tiryanchas) many are rational, i.e., with mind and many are irrational, i.e., without mind. There, the rational beings have the knowledge arising through mind; the irrational beings do not have the same. And the human beings, celestial beings, infernal beings are only rational beings; all of them are found possessed with the knowledge arising through the medium of mind.
Thus is to be known the functioning of Mati-Jnana.