Jain Journal 1980 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 31

The Jaina Doctrine of Naya : Its
Implications and Importance
S. B. P. SINHA
At the very outset, it would not be out of place to state here that logic and epistemology have been given important places in the history of Indian philosophical thought right from the very beginning. So, it is not fair to see only metaphysical speculations here. Kautilya declared long ago thus : "Anvikșiki (logic) has ever been esteemed as the lamp of of all sciences, the resource of all actions and the shelter of all virtues.”l Without entering into details, it can be safely said that logic and epistemology find significant places in philosophical scheme of things here. Of course, these have been mostly used to advocate particular ontological constructions and, so, sometimes, logic has been regarded to be something like subservient to metaphysics and religion. This is, of course, true to a great extent so far ancient schools of Indian logic are concerned but that does not mean that it has been neglected or underrated. As a matter of fact, Indian logicians, specially those belonging to the mediaeval age, made significant contributions in the field of logic and here the role of Jaina logicians cannot be ignored. They really made logic as something independent of metaphysics and religion. Dr. Satischandra has observed thus in this context : "By about 450 A.D. the Buddhist logician Dignaga and the Jaina logician Siddhasena Divakara, by differentiating the principles of logic from those of religion and metaphysics, laid the true foundation of what is termed the mediaeval school of Indian logic."2 These mediaeval logicians were not so much concerned with ontological categories which occupied pivotal position in the ancient logic but they attached more importance to the analysis of knowledge-specially, means of valid knowledge and such other allied problems (pramāņa etc). Here we are tempted to add further in this context that one can study and find even elements of logical and linguistic analysis: in Indian philosophy. We may observe here that the Mimansa school and the school of Grammarians propound their theories of meaning in their own way which testify to the fact that they were anticipating the modern theories of logi
1
2
Quoted by Dr. Satischandra Vidyabhushan in his book, A History of Indian Logic (before preface) (Published by Calcutta University, 1921). Ibid., p. 158. Dr. G. Mishra's Analytical Studies in Indian Philosophical Problems (Published by Post-Graduate Dept. of Philosophy, Utkal University, Bhubaneshwar, 1971) may be studied for further details.