Concept of Paryaya in Jain Philosophy

Author(s): S R Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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14 Concept of Paryaya in Jain Philosophy What is termed here as yaksa (=wonderful) is termed elsewhere as maya (inexplicable). What is remarkable is this that even though the later Vedantists speak of name and form (i.e. the changeable aspect) to be mithya or illusory, the Sruti accepts them to be satya or true - namarupe satyam 10. Actually the treatment of the concept of change is spread over whole of the Vedic literature. The Yajurveda, for example, declares in a mystical language that the unborn is hidden in the womb, which when born becomes many - prajapatiscarati garbhe antarajayamano bahudha vijayatell. It implies that the unchangeable is one, it becomes many through the process of change. On the basis of such Srutis, different schools of orthodox Vedic systems of philosophy attribute different status to the phenomena of change. In Jaina terminology, the substance is one which does not change but its modes are many which continuously undergo change. The Sruti, quoted above, which declares name and form to be true, comes nearer to the Jaina concept which accepts modes to be real. The concept of change as Maya Literally maya means limitation. We can only know the limited; the unlimited remains unknown. Also the limited only can be expressed, though both, the explicable and the inexplicable, the limited and the unlimited, are two dimensions of the creator - Ubhayam va etat prajapatirniruktancaniruktanca parimitancaparimitanca12. How change takes place The aegveda further says that here is unity at the level of unlimited, diversity comes through limitation - Indro mayabhih pururupa iyate13. Here is a scientific explanation of how a change occurs. It is clear that every change implies some movement. Movement, again, is either centrifugal or centripetal which are caused by Indra and Visnu (also known as Upendra) respectively. The centrifugal movement of Indra, which is a psychic energy, creates expansion (=prasarana) through heat (Agni), the centripetal movement of Visnu, which is also a psychic energy, creates contraction (akuncana) through coolness (Soma). The whole universe (known as jagat = ever changing) is constituted of these two, the heat and the coolness agnisomatmakam jagat14 and there is no third element.