Book Title: Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture
Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
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Anekānta, Syādvāda and Saptabhangi 165
What is now to be examined is whether each of these seven predicates reveals a new mode of truth. This can be best done by examining the import of the seven predicates together with the significance of the propositions embodying them.
Import of the Seven Predicates The first predicate is 'existence' which means 'existence in a specific
that is, determinate existence. A jar certainly exists in its own context. (Syudastigharah). It has its own substance, space, time, and mode. In one word, it has a determinate (personal) being. The determinate existence rebutes the possibility of absolute being and absolute non-being. This point has already been elaborated34 and needs rio repetition. The significance of the proposition follows from the unique import of the predicate.
It is however to be understood that none of the seven predicates denies the other predicates. Each predicate on the other hand implies the other six as equally important and true characteristics of the real. This implication is expressed by the word syātos prefixed to every proposition, e.g., in Syadastyevaghatah which means “The jar certainly exists in its own context.' This should be carefully noticed in our exposition of the import of the predicates. The implication of eva (certainly) in the above proposition is the exclusion of the negation of 'existence."
The second predicate is ‘non-existence' which means *non-existence in a specific context, that is, determinate non-existence. The jar certainly does not exist in another context (syännästyevaghataḥ). This determinate non-existence rebutes the possibility of absolute non-being and absolute being.
The first predicate is concomitant with the second and the second is concomitant with the first. And this is the reason why both can belong to the same subject without conflict and opposition.
The third predicate is 'existence and non-existence' which means consecutive togetherness of existence and non-existene, that is, distinguishable compresence of the two. The jar exists and does not exist respectively in its own context and in a different context (syādasti ca nāsiicaghatah). This predicate gives a richer glimpse of the real than that provided by the first and the second. It is not however a mere combination of the two, but presents a complex character of the real—a
34. Vide Supra. 35. For further implications of RITT, vide Supra.
