Book Title: Comparative Study Of Jaina Theories Of Reality And Knowledge
Author(s): Y J Padmarajaiah
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Vikas Mandal

Previous | Next

Page 372
________________ 352 JAINA THEORIES OF REALITY AND KNOWLEDGE Expression, according to him, is "the very essence of consciousness and, hence, all that exists. Therefore, whatever exists and whatever is thought of, is completely expressible." This thesis represents an extreme viewpoint. An antithesis to Bhartphari's viewpoint is presented by certain utterances of the Upanişads which, as noticed during the treatment of the third phase in the development of the indefinable, were, later on, developed into the well-articulated theories of anirvacanīyatā in Advaitism, and similar ideas in certain trends of Buddhism. This antithetical view maintains that the ultimate is absolutely beyond the reach of words, and, when any attempt is made to 'reach' the ultimate through words they are found utterly to conceal, nay, even distort it. follows the kā, beginning with: śabdesvevāśritā saktirviśvasyāsya nibandhani/ Commenting on this Punyarāja further ob serves: sarvā apyarthajātayaḥ sūkşmarūpeṇa sabdadhişthānāḥ / 2. According to Bhartshari "There is no cognition which is not interpenetrated with word. Thought is impossible without verbal expression. It is language that makes cognition illuminative of its objects." This item is beautifully expressed by the following celebrated kā. of Bhartphari: na so'sti pratyayo loke yah sabdānugamādstel anuviddhamiva jñānam sarvan śabdena bhāsatel/ Vākyapadiya, I. 124, and for its E. T. see JPN, p. 111. For a similar importance attached to sabda by the author of Kāvyādarśa see The Philosophy of Sanskrit Grammar (P. C. Chakravarti, Calcutta University, 1936), p. 39, especially n. 2 thereon. This Philosophy of Grammar as well as his "Linguistic Speculations of the Hindus" in the Journal of the Department of Letters, Vol. XII, University of Calcutta, 1925, give an exposition of Bhartshari's general posi tion in relation to the Mimamsakas, the Naiyāyikas and others. 3. See supra, pp. 348-350.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446