________________
understood, this answer pertaining to creation (utpāda), Gautama asked again, what is truth? Mahāvīra replied, to be destroyed (vyaya) is the truth. Again he began to critically analyze the statement to be created and to be destroyed is the truth. Once born and then dead, what else is left? The answer was still unclear to him. He asked yet again, what is truth? Lord answered; to be eternal (dhrauvya) is the truth. Gautama's mind now focus itself. To be created, destroyed,and to remain in existence, this is the three-fold truth. Then he reflected upon this three-fold truth deeply and attained at the conclusion that truth is the conflict between the eternal and non-eternal.
Now Gautama fell into trouble, how to explain the truth, which is eternal and non-eternal by nature. How to explain the multi-faceted truth through language is the first problem. This problem was being solved by the Mahāvīra, the preceptor, by implementing minimum two nayaş for explaining the nature of Reality i.e. transcendental naya and conventional naya,. Athire pallotai no thire pallotai.', it means from the transcendental point of view, Reality is eternal and from the conventional point of view reality undergoes change. Now Gautam understood the basic concept of Reality. Different thinkers have presented the different aspects of truth in their own way. The Vedānta philosophy has explained the problem from the three standpoints, namely, the ultimate, the empirical and the apparent.The Brāhmana is the ultimate truth, while the sensuous world has only empirical validity. The cognition of the 'will-o' the wisp' and dream is pure appearance. In Hinayāna Buddhism the truth is of two fold, viz. ultimate and the conventional.
arthakriyā sāmartham yat tadatra paramārtha sat, anyat samvrtisat proktań, te svasamanyalaksane.
'Bhagavai. Ed. Ācārya Mahāprajña. Ladnun: Jain Vishva Bharati, 1997,
7.2.58-59.
