Book Title: Ahimsa and Jainism
Author(s): Vijayvallabhsuri
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

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Page 103
________________ ( 96 ) as an attempt to register, to define, and to arrange in systematic order the concepts and general notions which are the conimon possession of all who spoke the Sanskrit language. Such a philosophy had some attraction for the Jainas who, as we have seen, always sided with common-sense views, and in fact many Jainas have written on Nyaya and Vaisheshika. But at the time when the Jain system was framed, the Pandit, as we know him in later times, had probably not yet become distinguished from the Vedic scholar or theologian; it is almost certain that there was as yet no class of persons who could be called Pandits, and consequently their philosophy also was wanting. And the tradition of the Jainas themselves says as much; for according to them the Vaisheshika system was founded by Chaluya Rahogutta, originally a Jaina and pupil of Mahagiri, eighth Sthavira after Mahavira. Thus we have no occasion to inquire into the relation between this system and Jainism. But it may be mentioned that the atomic theory which is a marked feature of the Vaisheshika, is already taught in outline by the Jainas. As regards the Nyaya i system, 'it is almost certainly later than Jainism; for the dialectics and logic of the Jainas are of a very primitive character, and appear entirely unconn, Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com

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