Jain Journal 1980 07

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

Page 34

JULY, 1980
or is concerned with the actual condition of the thing without any reference to the past or to the future. e.g., my son as he is today. He might have been prince in his previous birth. Dr. Satischandra Vidyabhusan has aptly remarked thus : "The method of Rjusūtra recognises the entity itself (bhāva), but does not consider its name (nāma) or image (sthāpanā), or the causes which constituted it."10
Now, the Sabda naya is the method of correct nomenclature. This also takes into account grammatical correctness and propriety of expression. In fact, the last three nayas, namely, Sabda, Samabhirūdha and Evambhūta nayas are concerned with proper and appropriate use of words. Broadly speaking, all these three are different kinds of the Sabda naya, better understood as Samprata, (the suitable), Samabhirūdha (the subtle) and Evambhūta (the suchlike). In Samprata naya, the word is used in the conventional sense. e.g. the word Satru in sanskrit means destroyer but in the conventional sense it means only 'enemy'. In Samabhirūdha naya, one particular word is selected out of many synonyms according to etymological considerations. This also means thus as giving a word one fixed meaning out of its several meanings. Lastly, in Evambhūta naya, the proper word is used which is justified by its actual present state, e.g., to call door keeper as such when he is actually on duty of watching. Before we conclude our discussion of these seven nayas, we may again mention here that Naigama, Samgraha and Vyavahāra nayas are known as Dvavyārthika nayas because they are concerned with the standpoints of the substance (or Dravyas) whereas Rjusūtra, Sabda, Samabhirūdha and Evambhūta are described as 'Paryāyārthika nayas' because they are point of views concerning attributes or modes (or paryāya.) Similarly, first four 'nayas' namely Naigama, Samgraha, Vyavahāra and Rjusūtra nayas are named as ‘artha-nayas' or objectstandpoints because they relate to objects or things. Whereas last three, namely, Sabda, Samabhirūdha and Evambhūta nayas are known as Sabda nayas because they are concerned with proper use of words. So, they are word standpoints.
After briefly discussing these seven nayas now we come to the famous doctrine of syādvāda. This is said to be the most important application of the doctrine of the ‘naya'. According to this doctrine, every judgement should be qualified with the word syāt or 'may be' or 'somehow' in order to emphasise its relative character or partial character. As pointed out earlier, this follows from their theory of anekāntavāda. This theory is something like the theory of the logical relativism. It is neither scepticism
10
Op. cit., p. 171.