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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
ON THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH
IN JAINISM
It is difficult to define poetry in a sentence or two; but we can describe its nature for duly understanding what poetry is. Similarly it is equally difficult to define truth; but its nature can be described and understood. In the context of the Householder's Ethical Discipline ci., acara-dharma, the Jainācāryas have given it still a considerably wide connotation, which Prof R. Williams calls the Jaina interpretation of truth.'
Authorities on the Householder's Code of Conduct Śravakācāra present several aspects of the nature of truth as follows:
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Umāsvāmi states that speaking what is not commendable is falsehood; and Pūjyapāda, the reputed Commentator, explains that what causes pain or suffering to a living being is not commendable, whether it refers to the contextual fact or not. Thus the spoken words that inflict any kind of injury to living beings is falsehood. Almost bringing out the same purport and elucidating the scope to some extent, Svāmī San.atabhadra states: Abstaining oneself from speaking and from asking others to speak gross falsehood, and also from truth that causes injury to others, is called by sages Satyaṇuvrata - the Minor Vow of Truth. Vasunandi says: One should not uttar untruth out of attachment
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