Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

SR No.: 002012
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, Religion, & Nyay
File Size: 23 MB

Page 141

124 Anekāntavāda and Syādvāda
“perhaps', 'indefinitely' and so forth are inadequate, if not somewhat misleading. Its main significance lies in its emphasis on the indeterminate or manifold nature of the real which-like all other reals--comes within its purview. Indeterminateness or manifoldness means that the “reals cannot be determined as possessing only such and such attributes and not the rest''. Discussing the spirit of syādvāda a modern critic observes : "It signifies that the universe can be looked at from many points of view, and that each viewpoint yields a different conclusion (anekanta). The nature of reality is expressed completely by none of them for in its concrete richness it admits all predicates. Every proposition is therefore in strinctness only conditional. Absolute affirmation and absolute negation are both erroneous” 135 A phrase which will approximately bring out this indeterministic significance of 'syat would be 'from a certain point of view', or 'in a certain sense', or some other equivalent form.
Another Sanskrit word which is used to suggest that each of the conclusions signified by the seven modes is exclusive--that is, does not encroach upon the province of the conchusions pointed out by the other modes—is 'eva' which may be translated as 'only' or 'certainly' (or in some equivalent form such as 'there is not doubt', or 'without doubt'). For instance, the first mode, syādastyeva ghațah, means : “In a certain sense the jar exists without doubt." This sense of exclusion 137 (vyāvrtyartham) seems to be more prominent than that of (avadharanártham) although the one implies the other and both the functions138_which may also be described as restrictive force and the definitive (or deterministic) force, respectively—are inherent in the word.
The svadvādins warn us against allowing 'eva' to proceed beyond its prescribed limits of exercising the restrictive and deterministically 135. OIP, p. 163. 136. Syādityavyayamaneküntadyotakam/SM, p. 151 (text). 137. In the words of Vidyānanda 'eva' is 'vyavacchedaprayojanah' TSV, p. 137.
Contrast the difference in the emphasis of the two functions of the word in JPN, p.
147, and Nyāyakusumāñjali, p. 178. 138. Cf. avadharanam ca atra bhangenābhimatarthavyāvrtyartham upättam /itaratha
anabhihitatulyataivāsya vākyasya prasajyeta, pratiniyatasvärthānabhidhānat / taduktam vākye'vadharanum tavad anistārthanivịttaye / kartavyo'yam anyathānuktasamatvāt tasya kutracit // SRK, p. 717. For further elucidation of the idea contained in this passage as well as for the three distinction or 'evakāra' viz., ayogabodhakatva, anyayogabodhakatva, and atyantäyogabodhakatva, see SBT. pp. 21-29.