Central Philosophy of Jainism Anekanta Vada

Author(s): Bimal Krishna Matilal, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Vibhajyavāda
answers the question by dividing (vibhajya) the predicate-property, or rather by specifying (višisya) further the predicate-property: speaking from the point of view of the gods, man is inferior, but speaking from the point of view of the lower beings, man is superior. Thus, we see that Vasubandhu tacitly assumed the third variety to be a sub-variety of the second: vibhajya-vāda.
From above we can gather that there were, at least, two sub-varieties of the vibhajya-vāda: (1) The first type operates by dividing the subject class into sub-classes; (2) The second one operates by specifying or relativizing the predicate. It seems to me that this second sub-variety of the vibhajya method was adopted chiefly by Mahävira the Jina. And thus, this was developed into the anakānta method.