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An Epitome of Jainism not hesitate to make obeisance to his western counterpart. This inconsistency is quite glaring and the misrepresentation of Jaina doctrine is all the more surprising as it apparently proceeds from Jaina writers. A more careful study of their own system and a little less of that hypnotic illusion by and the blind adoration to German idealism, would have enabled our authors to see that the system they expound is a bold and masterly refutation of the philosophical Absolutism of ancient India.
2. Naya
The next topic relating to Jaina logic is about naya. This is the second means of understanding things, the first being pramâna. All concrete things are extremely complex; they have innumerable qualities and relations. The reals being such complex entities, they may be examined from different aspects. This apprehension of a thing from a particular point of view is known as naya--an opinion or an assertion from some one aspect. Every aspect of a thing in its own way reveals the nature of that thing. Hence naya is a means of insight into the nature of reality. Theoretically the possible nayas are infinite in number since the reals have infinite qualities and relations. But writers on Jaina logic generally speak of seven different nayas. These are Naigama, Samgraha, Vyavahâra, Rijusútra, Sabda, Samabhirudha and Evambhůta. Let us try to explain these in order.
(i) Naigama Naya
This naya seems to be somewhat obscure and is therefore differently interpreted by the scholars. Pujyapâda in his commentary on Sûtra 33 of Tattvârtha Sûtra explains the naya thus, “Naigama is that which relates to the purpose or end of a course of activity." The illustrations given are :
(1) You see a person carrying water, firewood and other necessities for cooking meals and ask him "what are you doing ?” “I am cooking meals" he replies. This answer refers to the purpose or end of a series of activity. The person is not actually in the act of cooking at the time of the answer.
(2) The second illustration refers to a person who goes with an axe. When he is asked what he is about, he replies “I am to bring a wooden measure (prastha)." He is to cut a piece of bamboo perhaps and make a prastha out of it. Here again this measure is only the purpose or end to be realised.
(3) In each of the two examples “odana" and “prastha", "food" and "measure", there is a central purpose which gives meaning to a course of some duration. The course of conduct is represented by different modes of activity at different stages. Inspite of this difference, the whole series and also every individual item tend towards the ideal aimed at. So far therefore the general purpose or aim may be said to be present in all the different stages of the course of conduct. It is the general purpose that gives meaning to the
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