Jaina Gazette 1928

SR No.: 034890
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office
Publication Year: 1928
Total Pages: 502
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

Page 102

JIVA
193 the soul which exists in winter, as 'existing in winter'. The particular modification or state of the soul is to be considered also for the same reason; full truth is not correctly stated if the soul which is angry at a particular time is not described as 'an angry soul'. It is for this reason that the Jaina philosophers in explaining the fact of a soul's existence, say that the soul exists only with reference to its own substance, own place, own time and own mode. According to them, it is philosophically more correct to say, Syat Jivah Asti ('in some respects, the soul exists) than to say simply Jivah Asti ('the soul exists '). In determining the nature of a substance, they thus use the expression Syat ('in some respects ') and hence their theory has been well known as Syal-vada (Theory of Possibility).
In the doctrine that Syat i.e., in some respects only the soul is existent, it is implied that Syat ie , in some respects again, the soul does not exist. Accordingly to understand how the soul exists it is also necessary to see in what respects it does not exist. The Jaina thinkers maintain that with reference to Para-dravya (the substance of another thing), Para-kshetra (the place of another thing), Para-kala (the time of another thing) and Para-bhava (the state of another thing), the Jiva is nonexistent. 'Rosa' (liquidity) is an attribute of Pudgala (matter), a kind of Ajiva or non-psychical substance, 'Rasa' is not an attribute of the soul. Hence with reference to Pudgala with its attribute 'Rasa ', the Jiva may be said to be non-existent. The soul which is in Pataliputra again, is non-existent in the place of another thing e.g., Avanti. The soul whose existence has been admitted in winter must be said to be non-existent at the time of another thing e.g., in Spring. The soul to which has been attributed the state of anger may be said to be non-existent, so far as the state of another substance e g., calmness is concerned. This is the second Bhanga of the Sapta Bhanga. 'Syal Asti Jivah' i.e., 'in some respects, the soul exists' is the first Bhanga or statement; the second is 'Syat Nasti Jivak' i.e., 'in some respects the soul is non-existent.
It is accordingly as much true to say that the soul exists as tosay that it does not. Now, if in one and the sam u statement, Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat