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An Epitome of Jainism abstract self-contradictory. The branches of a tree may be in motion, but the tree as a whole may not budge an inch. Here the tree is moving and yet is not moving. The same indivudual person may be father in relation to X and son in relation to Y. In this case we cannot reasonably ask how can the same individual be both father and son. The two conflicting attributes of fatherhood and sonhood are quite intelligible in the same individual. Similarly a class which is a genus with reference to its own species may itself be a species in relation to its own higher genus. We need not multiply instances. It would be quite idle to maintain the impossibility of incompatible attributes in one and the same thing. It is a matter of surprise to us modern readers how such an acute thinker like Sankara should go without observing the particular aspect from which the rival presents his case.
After appealing to experience to substantiate his point, Sankara brings in the charge of indefiniteness against the doctrine of Saptabhangi. On a previous occasion we replied to this charge of indefiniteness. It is enough here to show that if by definiteness Sankara means unconditional and absolute assertion, indefiniteness instead of being a defect would be certainly a meritorious point to the credit of syâdvâda. In the course of the discussion, the critic indulges in certain epithets which we should now call "unparliamentary”. We may pass it without notice partly because of its irrelevancy to the main argument and partly because of the fact that in his days such an intermixture of Logic and Rhetoric was perhaps accepted as a justifiable weapon of debate.
As to his second point, the practical futility of the doctrine, we have to say a word. His argument comes to this. Every theoretical doctrine has a practical bearing. This is all the more so in the case of Indian thinkers. All Indian philosophers, inspite of their doctrinal differences, accept this as the fundamental truth of philosophy that metaphysical research is the handmaid of ethico-religious ideal of securing the summum bonum of life. Hence any doctrine that is indefinite and ambiguous in its message is condemned by this pragmatic test. Since we have not accepted the theoretical charge of ambiguity, we need not tarry long at this practical consequence.
Next, let us go to the application of Saptabhangi to the other Jaina doctrines, such as the five categories and the final release with the consequent heavenly bliss. Sankara points out that according to this logic, the five astikayas may be five and may not be five. This result will not certainly non-pluss the Jaina logician. If they are severally referred to, they are five. If they are referred to as an aggregate and a class, they are one. If they are classified according to a different principle they may be two, living and non-living. Hence there is no fixed numerical characterisation of these categories. Variation in the number that may be used to designate these categories, instead of implying self-contradiction, indicates only a variation in the point of view from which they are examined. As the climax of his criticism, Sankara anks his rival to say what would become of the heavenly world if it both
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