Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

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

Page 50

Anekāntavāda : The Principal
Jaina Contribution of Logic
SUKHLALJI SANGHVI
The first and the foremost of the contributions one that is the key to the rest-made by the Jaina savants to Indian Logic (pramāņa sāstra) is the systematic exposition (sastriya-nirupana) of Anekantavāda or the Doctrine of Non-Absolutism and (its corollary) Nayavāda or the Doctrine of Partial Truths.
There are two mutually distinct, fundamental standpoints (drsti) for looking at the universe-one is that which tends towards generalization (sāmānya-gamini), the other that which tends towards particularization (viseșa-gamini). The former starts with the observation of the similarities (samănata), but it is gradually inclined to emphasize non-distinction (abheda) and finally views the universe as rooted in something one and single; hence it arrives at the conclusion that whatever is an object of awareness (pratiti) is, really speaking, some one single element (tattva). Thus passing beyond the initial stage (prāthamika bhumikā) of viewing similarities, the standpoint in question culminates in viewing essential identity (tättvika ekata). Whatever element is here asserted to be the sole object of awareness is also declared to be the sole reality (sat). Owing to its excessive preoccupation with the one ultimate real. this standpoint either fails to take note of diversities or it takes note of them but dismisses them as empirical (vyāvahärika) or non-ultimate (aparamarthika) because according to it they are unreal (avāstavika). This applies to all diversity we are aware of, be it diversity in respect of time (kalakrta ; as, for example, that between the antecedent seed and the subsequent sprout), or diversity in respect of space (de'sakrta :