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Mahāvīra : The soul is permanent as well as impermanent. From the substantial point of view (dravyarthiva naya), soul neither originates nor perishes, so it is permanent. From the modal point of view (paryāyārthika naya), the modes originates and perishes. The Bhagavatī Sūtra, hints upon the two aspects of reality, permanent and impermanent. It is quoted that ‘athire palottai, thire no palottai.” It means, the permanent part does not change, the impermanent part undergoes change.
. Mahāvīra very well knew that a substance is possessed of an infinite number of attributes. It is however, not possible to express in language these infinite numbers of attributes taking place every moment.'Besides, our span of life and also the range of language have their own limitations. A substance is unspeakable on account of these infinitude aspects of things. Mahāvīra said, due to limitation of our language only one attribute can best be spoken of, in one moment and many in many moments, but never are, all during any strech of time. Thus we can speak about a thing reference to only a limited number of its attributes. Mahāvīra got the way to solve the problem of limitation of language through the successive explanation of all qualities from different standpoints.
After the period of canonical speculation, came the age of Umāsvāti and Kundakunda. Umāsvāti (1st or 2nd century A.D.) makes no mention of the syādvāda, and does not discuss about the seven alternative predicates as well. In his Tattvārtha Sūtra, he didn't make any explicit reference to the principle of anekānta. But still we find an implicit definition of anekānta in
Bhagavatī, Viahāpannattī. Vol. I. Ed. Mahāprajña. With Prakrit Text Sanskrit Renderings, Hindi Translation and Critical Notations. Ladnun:
Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, 1994, verse-1.9.440. 2 Višeşāvaśyaka Bhāsya. Vol. I of Jinabhadra Gaņā. Ed. Dalsukha Malavaniya and Bechardasji. Lal Bhai Dalpatabhai. Ahmedabad: Bhārtīya Samskrti Vidyāmandir, 1968, gātha (svopajñavrtti)-450.
