First Principal of the Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Hirachand Liladhar Zaveri
Publisher: Jaina Vividh Sahitya Shastramala

Page 44

THE JAIN PHILOSOPHY
39
For further details the reader is referred to Syadvada Ratnakara, Saptabhangitarangini, etc.
Anything, can be considered in various aspects or from various standpoints, so therefore can the beforementioned six substances and seven principles. These aspects or standpoints form the subject of the following chapters on nayas.
CHAPTER IV.
ON Nayas OR METHODS OF COMPREHENDING THINGS FROM PARTICULAR STANDPOINTS.
A NAYA is the standpoint of the knower; it is the knowledge of one of the attributes of a thing possessing innumerable attributes, and forms part of the aggregate of the natures of a thing.
A naya always predicates one of the innumerable qualities of a thing, but never denies the rest. If it denies the rest, or any of the qualities not in consideration, then it is called nayabhasa, a fallacy of naya, that is, a naya which appears to be correct but is not so in fact.
The nayas refer to the parts of the thing, whereas the saptabhangi refers to the things as a whole; nayas have relation to analysis, whereas saptabhangi relates