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SATYA RANJAN BANERJEE:ANEKANTAVĀDA AND LANGUAGE
237
The life of the seed does never die, it lives even though it is being constantly changed and this is what is sat.
What is true of a plant, is also true with regard to the basic or fundamental things of Nature. The Jain conception of Reality is different from the other Indian philosophers. Some philosophers would only emphasize change alone as the characteristic of Reality. The onesided emphasis either on permanency or change is rejected by Jain thinkers. They consider this system as anekānta, a system which clings to a partial aspect of Reality. So the Jains call their own system as anekāntavāda, i.e., a system of philosophy which maintains that Reality has multifarious aspects and that a complete comprehension of such a nature must necessarily take into consideration all the different aspects through which Reality manifests itself. Hence the Jaina Darśana is also called anekānta vāda often translated as “Indefiniteness of Being”. It tells us that any material thing continues for ever to exist as matter, and this may assume any shape and quality. Thus mrttikā (clay) as a substance may be regarded as permanent, but the from of a jar of clay (ghața-pațādi) or its colour, may come into existence and perish.
That a substance may assume different forms is illustrated by two verses from the Aptamimāṁsā (also quoted by Mallişeņa in his Syādvādamañjarī). The verse relates the story of a certain king who had a son and a daughter. Out of gold, the daughter got a jar made of gold, whereas the prince got a crown also made of gold. This act of the king displeased the daughter, whereas the prince was pleased; but the king was neutral being the possessor of so much gold whether in the form of a jar or of a crown. The verse in question runs thus:
ghata - mauli - suvarņārthi nāšotpāda - sthitişvayam/ soka - pramoda - mādhyasthyam jano yāti sahetukam//
[Apt. Mī. 59) Similary, to illustrate utpāda, vināśa and dhrauvya, there is another story which says
payovrato na dadhyatti na payo'tti dadhivrataḥ/ agorasavrato nobhe tasmād vastu trayātmakam/
Tant Mi 601
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| SR No. | 520154 |
| Book Title | Jain Journal 2004 04 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jain Bhawan Publication |
| Publisher | Jain Bhawan Publication |
| Publication Year | 2004 |
| Total Pages | 74 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India |
| File Size | 4 MB |