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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An Analysis of 'syāt in Syādvāda 297
possibility and (b) possibility as contingency. The latter kind of possibility, again is of two kinds : (a) Possibility that is short of necessity and (b) the one that is descriptive of something indeterminate. This kind of possibility is generally expressed in the form of 'thus' or 'not thus' without prevalence of either one of the alternatives. Hintikka has further argued that although Aristotle mentions and uses both these kinds of possibilities yet no sharp distinction between them is made by first and that the second kind of possibility is according to Aristotle connected with generation or change of a thing while the first is not. The first kind of possibility of these comes to be stated in terms of what Quine calls “eternal sentences' while that of the latter kind in terms of what Quine calls 'occasion sentences'. All these earlier considerations about possibility as also the points Hintikka has made have an important bearing on the discussion of possibility or possibilities indicated by 'syät'.
Although there is an important relation between Anekantavāda and Syādvāda yet it should be borne in mind that the two are distinct. Similarly, although there is an important relation between Nayavāda and Svadvada, one should not be confused with the other. The point, however, is made to avert the possible confusions of mixing between them.
The expression 'Saptabhangi' suggests a set of seven formulae.3 Each one of such formulac is prefixeci by the expression ‘syät. It is on account of this perhaps that the doctrine of Saptabhangi is also known as Syadvada. The expression 'syät, as mentioned in the beginning of the paper, is rendered and understood in a particular way; i.e. in the sense of a modal predicate or modal notion.
It may be admitted that the epression syāt is used by grammarians in different ways i.e. as a form of 'as' and as Avyaya. In the context of Syadvāda these two uses seem to be important. Several scholars have used it as Avyaya (indeclinable or grammatical particle). In the sense of potential lin, however, Syāt is left understood by some texts. This sense is clear, however, not only from dictionaries but also from reliable Jaina philosophical texts."
2. It would not be possible, in the paper, to deal in details with the relation between
Anekāntavāda and Syādvāda. 3. Vadideva Suri: Pramananayatattvalokälankāra : IV. 14 4. Abhidhanarajendrakosa, VII. p. 848. 5. Monier-Williams, M. : Sanskri:-English Dictionary, p. 1273.
Vimaladása : Sptabhāngitarangin i : p. 16.
