Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

Page 51

intellect. The view taken by intellect is never a whole view. It is always a partial view. ... it is merely a relative view-relative to the beliefs, prejudices, mood and purpose of the speaker.
NAYAVADA
To analyze and grasp the individual point of view (naya) is the function of Nayavada. According to Umasvami knowledge is obtained by means of Pramana and Naya. Pramana is valid knowledge of itself and of things. It is the instrumental cause of right knowledge which must be free from doubt, vagueness and perversity. Lack of discrimination between the real and unreal is the cause of wrong knowledge, Mental or physical disturbances create wrong attitude which again is the cause of wrong knowledge. Objects possess different characteristics which can be comprehended by omniscience only. Human perception and knowledge have their own limitations and hence we often take a partial view of thing. This is Naya; it deals with a particular aspect which the speaker has in view: it is therefore a theory of stand-point.
A Naya, therefore, deals with only the particular aspect in view of the speaker but it does not deny the existence of the remaining attributes. When we speak of the colour of gold, we have no mention of its weight, touch, taste, smell and other attributes but our statement does not mean that gold is devoid of all other attributes besides colour.
Pujyapada has defined Naya as the device which is capable of determining truly one of the several characteristics of an object (without contradiction) from a particular point of view. It is of two kinds: Dravyarthika, that which refers to the general attributes of a substance and not to its modifications which the substance is constantly undergoing, and Paryayarthika which refers to constantly changing conditions of a substance. The Nayas are again classified as 1) Naigama 2) Sangraha 3) Vyavahara 4) Rijusutra 5) Shabda. 6) Samabhirudha and 7) Evambhuta. The first three are subdivisions of Dravyarthika Naya as they deal with objects while the last four fall under Paryayarthika Naya as they are concerned with modifications of substances.
Another classification of naya commonly used is nishchaya naya and vyavahara naya as was described in chapter in 3. Nishchaya naya is the transcendental naya and is the view that cognizes the real (metaphysical) nature of the object. Vyavahara naya is the analytic view point that cognizes the particular attribute which distinguishes the object. It is the view point which takes cognizance of the character of the real as it is understood by common people. For instance a bangle of gold could be melt in a crucible and remade as necklace or ear rings. All these three items have different forms and identity but they are made of the same gold. The former identification is from the vyavahara naya point of view that cognizes the object by its present state and the later from the nischaya naya point of view that focuses on the continuity of substance-hood which is invariable with time. To have complete understanding of any object it should be cognized by both the points of views. For instance consider the case of a living being. The soul is in pure state and the bhava karmas maintain separate identity from the point of view of nishchaya naya. The soul experiences transformations of its own state and the bhava karmas