Some Aspects of Indian Culture

SR No.: 001132
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A S Gopani, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1981
Total Pages: 211
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Discourse
File Size: 15 MB

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Some Aspects of Indian Culture
uproots that vanity- that ego the fruitful soil for those envenomed passions, and finally leads one to emancipation-the summum bonum of life. It makes us what we really ought to be. I recommend Mallişeņa's Syadvadamañjari in this connection to those interested.
(3) I now come to Nayavāda. It should be said at the outset that this also forms a part and parcel of Jaina thought and culture and is older than the highly complicated Syādvāda as will be seen from its simple technique.
Nayavāda is the second means of understanding things, Pramāņa being the first. It must have been clear to you from the foregoing remarks that all things are full of diversities, qualities and relations. To be brief, the reals are such complex entities as can allow being seen from different aspects. And Naya is a technical name given to this specific act of apprehending. Every such act unfolds a part of the infinite meaning to which one is ushered through the gateway of Nayas which are theoretically infinite as the charactristics of the reals are also infinite.15 But the Jaina writers have compressed them into seven groups. These are Naigama, Samgraha, Vyavahāra, Rjusutra, Sabda, Samabhirudha and Evambhūta.
These are further brought under two main divisions, namely, Arthanaya consisting of the first four, and Sabdanaya comprising the remainig three. Then again they are otherwise classed :-The first three coming under Dravyāstika Naya while the remaining four belonging to Paryāyāstika Naya The former class has a reference to the substantial aspects, and the latter to the modificatory.
As there is a close affinity between the outer structures of Syadavād and Nayavāda there is every possibility of mistaking one for the other. But let me sound a warning that such a mistake shall be considered a howler. There is really speaking nothing in common between ther except that they hoth are the expressions of the same point of view. But for this reason it is too much to consider them as two stages of a single process of thought. They should rather be traced to separate sources united in a common point of view.
Jinabhadragaạikşamājramana's Viseşavas yakabhāşya contains an exhaustive and elaborate elucidation of Nayavāda to which I would like you to refer to get a detailed conception of it.
(4) I shall now deal with the Jaina metaphysics. As important as Syādvāda and as original as Nayavāda but occupying a less showy position is its doctrine of Sat (Reality) which is defined as 389176444szyj 17 and which, like other two doctrines mentioned just now, namely, Syadvāda and Nayavāda, is a prominent feature of Jaina Thought and Culture which takes its stand exclusively on golden mean instead of erring on any of the extremes.
Jinism calls that a substance which is Sat and which has not to depend on anything else for its assertion and continuation. It characterizes it (Sat) as that