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YATEENDRASURI SMARAK GRANTH losophy and subject of discriminativeness. The life- This doctrine too can be applicable as consistently force of non-absolutism lies in this that it asks us to following the Jaina philosophy. Radhakrishnan exthink with an open mind and it inspires us to think plains this consistancy", and addas; over and adopt other views also. Thus power and "Since reality is multiform and ever changlife of nonabsolutism is open-mindedness, clarity
ing, nothing can be considered to be existing eveand impartiality of thought."13
rywhere and at all times and in all ways and places, There could be no better explanation or clear and it is impossible to pledge ourselves to an incut analysis of the doctrine than this. Actually, with flexible creed, 18 The seven steps of the Bhanga are
apparently different, we come to touch 1. May be it is (Syat Asti) upon reality, one or other aspect of reality. With
2. May be it is not (Syat Nasti) every different vision we come nearer to truth about reality.14
3. May be it is and it is not. (Asti - nasti) We can take other subtler examples. In the
4. May be it is indescribable (Syat Avaktavya) Chhandogya Upanishad, we have the story of Indra
5. May be it is and is indescribable (Syat asti and Virochana who came as pupils at the feet of Avaktavya) Brahma; they wanted to be instructed about the re- 6. May be it is not and is indescribable (Syat nasti ality that Brahman was. Virochana, the representa- Avaktavya) tive of the demons, returned satisfied that he had 7. May be it is, it is not and is indescribable (Syat grasped the truth when he came to understand that Asti-nasti-Avaktavya) body was reality and therefore body shall be worshipped, decorated, pampered.15
This doctrine guides the student to view a But Indra, the representative of gods was
thing, an object, a principle or Jiva in several op
tions i.e., as many ways as possible. This given part of the truth and he returned several times
syadvada is known as saptabhangi naya because with further testing and as taking questions, ulti
of the seven probabilities which try to cover up all mately to grasp the truth that -
the probabilities (Syat) or the options Sukhialji "The purusan that you visualize in the eyes,
states that that is Brahman,"16 The questions that arose in the mind of Indra every time show that every time he "The number seven is laid down because had known and grasped only the partial truth. The more than seven options bhangas are not possiangle of vision differed was widened every time ble. Split the first three in a variety and sapts bhangi and brought him nearer to truth or reality. This re- results. If. we can find more than seven bhangas, peated thinking by Indra is the outcome of so many Jain philosophy cannot insist on saptabhangi." questions one after the other that spring from the
However, he is of the opinion that the first three different angles of vision over the same reality. This
are the most important and the rest are rather miis simply a means to reach the fuller conception,
nor off-shoots of the three. Dr. Apte is of the opinan all sided full vision of reality, call it this wordly or
ion that the first two are the most important 20 Howother worldly.
ever, if we insist on giving importance to all the Saptabhangi Naya
seven, there should be no harm. Knowledge of a
thing can be grasped by as many options as posWhile Dr. Radhakrishnan comes to a dis
sible and scholars and sages have contended that cussion on Saptabhangi Naya, he rightly opines that
both in our life and in the realm of drarma and it is a logical correllary of the anekantavada. The
darshana(philosophy), there be some things or Jainas adopt the view of pluralistic realism and there
problems or experiences that defy all due expres. too, in the realm of logical analysis and knowledge.
sion in words.
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