Fundamental of Jainism

Author(s): Prithviraj Jain
Publisher: Prithviraj Jain

Page 14

12
Every known object has innumerable characters or Dhaninis. Only Arhats or omniscient souls can know an object in all its various aspects Our knowledge is relative and partial. Consequently our judgments about a thing aje true only from a certain standpoint. We cannot claim that an object exists only in the way or form in which we know it. Others may see it from a different angle. It is also a common experience that after the lapse of some time the same object seems to us different. The Jain system believes in realism and holds the existence of all objects to be real. The standpoint from which the Jains explain the existence of the universe is known as 'yalavada or Anehantavada.
Critics often say that it is impossible for an object to exist and not to exist at one and the same time. But the object is existent from one point of view and non-existent from another. The object "man" exists as a man but has no existence as an animal. We can prove the existence of the table as a table. but as a bench the table has no exitence. Hence ordinary human beings cannot pass absolute judgment about any object as not all its characters are within the scope of our knowledge.
So, according to the Jains, every judgement should be qualified by the word “Syat" or "somehow” or “from a certain point of view,” to avoid possible false statement and the causing of misapprehension. On the basis of Syariavada the Jain logicians have developed the Saptabhangina ya or the seven forms of judgment, the details of which can be learned from ancient works as well as from the scholarly writings of some distinguished modern scholars of Jainism.8
8 Syadavadamanjari; Syadavadaratnakara; Saptabhangitarangini; Ashtasahasri; Prameyakamalamartanda; The Jaina Philosaphy of Non-Absolutism: A Critical study of Anekantavada, by SATKARI MOOKER]Ee: etc.
Jain Education International 2500 Polrate & Personal Use Only