Anekantavada

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Sabha

Page 19

whose vision is not clear, soos something before him and doubts whether the object lying before him is a rope or a serpant. It is either a rope only or a serpant only but it cannot be both. That it may be a rope or that it may be a serpant are theories about it. But in as much as they are based on suspicion, tbey are imaginary or unreal theories and are not possible theories, as understood by Syād-vāda. Here, the length and breadth of a rope resemble those of a serpant. Therefore, viewed from the standpoint of dimensions, the rope resembles a serpant, but viewed from the stand-point of the static quality, it does not resemble a serpant. That the rope resembles a serpant is a possible theory; that the rope does not resemble a serpant, is equally a possible theory. Both the theories are possible ones and both are correct and real. As such, they are not imaginary or unreal theories. Another well-known illustration may be cited here. A blind man, who happens to touch the trunk of an elephant, regards it as similar to a post. Another blind, who happens to touch the ear of an elephant, regards it 48 similar to a fan. The blind, who imagines the elephant as pillar-like, is right from his own view-point, but is wrong from the view-point of