Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 349

332 Anekāntavāda and Syädvāda
with nayavāda by the use of the expression “standpoints’.20 Finally, in analysing the Jain concept of dravya, sthiti or the permanent element in a substance is associated with the first predicate by Nalinaksha Dutt. But the first predicate does not seem to distinguish between the components-permanent or transitory of a single substance of drayva but rather between subsiances. For example, we may affirm (1) that an object, say a knife, exists as a knife. We may further say (2) that it is not something else, say a fork.21
S. Gopalan formulates the seven propositions of syadvada as follows:
(1) May be, Reality is (Syāt asti dravyam) (2) May be, Reality is not (Syāt násti dravyum) (3) May be, Reality is and is not (Syāt asti co nāsti ca druvyam) (4) May be, Reality is indescribable (Syāt avaktavym dravyam)
(5) May be, Reality is and is indescribable (Syāt asti ca avaktavyam dravyan)
(6) May be, Reality is not and is indescribable (Syāt nāsti ca avaktavyam dravyam)
(7) May be, Reality is, is not and is indescribable (Syät asti ca năsti ca avaktavyamdravyam).22
This formulation of syādvāda presents two problems. The first relates to the translation of syāt as may be. Although this is fairly common,23 and ‘syāt means “may be" "24 yet it is explained by Kathaichit, which in this connection may be translated somehow":23 Without being dogmatic on this point,26 there is room for suggesting that 'somehow may be a better translation as it prevents the Jain doctrine from appearing unduly sceptical. Secondly, the rendering of dravyom as Reality with a capital R generates the impression that Jainism believes in the existence of one Reality. But Jain philosophy is realistic and pluralistic. There is a plurality of objects and jīvas (Atmans) and all of them are real, and the objects of our knowledge are also real' They ‘are not mere ideas'. 27
20. Ibid., p. 179. 21. A.L. Basham, The Wonder that was India (Fontana, 1975), p. 504. 22. S. Gopalan, op. cit., p. 153. 23. See M Hiriyanna, op. cit p. 164; etc. 24. Hermann Jacobi, op. cit p. 468. 25. Ibid. 26. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A Moore, eds., op. cit, p. 261. 27. P.T. Raju, op. cit, pp. 100-101.