________________
336
0:0 Scientific Contents in Präkṛta Canons
(ii) It is perceived by ear.
(iii) It is produced by collisive vibrations in materials. (iv) It travels in the medium ( air in general ).
The Mimamsakas assume words as permanent, otherwise how they could have constant meanings ? Kumārila's logistics in this regard has been tabulated in Table 3 with their counter-arguments from Nyāya-sūtra19 and Prabhācandra20. It is seen that the latter did not only utilise the arguments of the earlier but has added many more to them to show that the eternalists are not on an all-proof right track in the light of many similar phenomena exhibited by the non-eternalists too, proving thereby the non-eternality of words. Mimāṁsakas believed words to be non-corporeal but later ones have professed them to be the quality of space as the Nyāya school21. This brings them nearer to Vaiseṣikas. It is, however, important that the logistics on both sides is partly factual and mostly intellectual deliberations. The Jainas seem to be somewhat advanced in this regard.
Table 3: Logistics of Mimāṁsakas, Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas and Jaina School on Eternality and Non-eternality of Sound/ words.2
22
Mimāmsakas
1. Words are eternal.
(1) Vedas declare them to be eternal.
(II) The knowledge about meaning of words is, otherwise, not possible.
(III) The eternality could be proved by many types of
Jain Education International
N. V. and Jaina Schools Words are non-eternal.
The knowledge about meaning of words could also be possible with their non-eternality concept as with relationship of non-eternal entities like smoke and fire because of similarity.
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
