Jaina Philosophy of Language

SR No.: 001601
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2006
Total Pages: 168
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Language
File Size: 10 MB

Page 16

(E) Word as a function of knowledge
The vṛtti of antaḥkarana is called as jñāna here. It transforms itself into word. It is also accepted by the celebrated commentator Acarya Patanjali, as he says -athavā jyotirvajjñānāni (Mahābhāṣya p. 366). Thus, all these three views also can be regarded in a way 'substantive' because to accept a word as a mode of a function or transformation of substance is to regard it in other sense, a substance. However, all these views accept the word as a transformation or a mode of reality, whether it is a transformation of Brahman, or that of Pudgala or Prakṛti (matter) or of Vayu (air) or Jñāna (consciousness or knowledge).
Whether the word is a substance or an attribute, this is an old debate. On the one hand the Bhāṭṭa Mīmāṁsakas support the substance theory of the word and on the other hand the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika regard words as attribute.
Word: Substance or attribute
Nārāyaṇa Pandita reads:
Śrotamātrendriyagrähyaḥ śabdaḥ śabdatvajātimān/
Dravyam sarvagato nityah Kumārilamate mataḥ //
(xiii)
Manameyodaya p. 208
The Vaseṣikas regard word as an attribute of ākāśa (space), transitory (kṣaṇika) and non-all-pervasive (avibhu)-' Śabdo'ambaraguṇa kṣaṇikaḥ pradeśavṛtti' (Prasastapāda-bhāṣya (p.692). The theory was refuted as the following aphorisms read- 'Guṇatvāsiddhe' (Nyāyaratna, p. 738); 'Nityastu syāt ‘(Jaimini-sūtra 1/1/18); ‘sarvatrayaugapadyâť (Jaimini-sūtra 1/1/19). The Naiyāyikas also shared the debate and supporting the Vaiseṣika's view said that the attributeness of the word (ākāśaguṇatā) cannot be refuted - yadidaṁ nākāśaguṇaḥ śabdaḥ iti, ayamanumayantaḥ pratiṣedhah, aasparśatvāt śabdāśrayasya (Nyāya-bhāṣya p.100);' upapadyante tarhi varṇavikārāḥ' (Nyāya- bhāṣya p. 108).
Thus the corresponding views supported their own stand and refuted the other's views. While establishing the words as 'substance' it was argued that the sense organs receive direct only the substance like 'ghata' etc. The word also is received directly through the relation of inherence with auditory sense (śrota-samavāya), hence the word is also