Jain Journal 2004 04

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

Page 37

238
JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XXXVJU, NO. 4 APRIL. 2004
The verse says that he who has vowed to live on milk does not take curds; he who has vowed to live on curds does not take milk; he who has vowed to live on food other than those supplied by a cow takes neither milk nor curds" - so a substance has three qualities.
So Anekāntavāda describes the nature of a substance (dravya), Anta means pakşa, or koți or dharma, another side of a substance. In analysing a substance, it is observed that it has, at least, two aspects. In ont sense a permanent substance is an anta (one side) and anityatva is also an anta (another side). Nāgārjuna in his Mādhyamika-kārikā saysastiti năstiti, ubhe'pi antā suddhi asuddhiti ime 'pi antal tasmād ubhe ante vivarjayitva medhye 'pi sthānam prakaroti panditaḥ//
In his opinion, existence and non-existence, purity and impurity all are distinctive features of a substance. And this is anta or dharma.
From the above it can be said that in an anekāntavāda, the nature of contradictory features of a substance is described. If there is no mutual contradictory features, then it is not described by anta. In the Upanişad, a substance is considered as only permanent, the Buddhists consider the existence of a substance as transitory. But only the Jains think that a substance (dravya) is both permanent and transitory. When it is nitya (permanent), it is a dravya (substance), and when it is anitya (transitory), it is called paryāya. The description of a substance in the form of dravya and paryāya is the basic tenet of anekāntavāda. Umāsvāti defines dravya thus:
guna-paryāya-vad dravyam (TS. V 38) “A substance is that which has qualities and modes."
On the basis of the commentary Sarvārthasiddhi this definition can be explained thus. The basic idea is that in a substance the qualities and modes exist. The qualities of a substance are always associated with the substance (dravya). But the modes are not always associated with the substance (dravya). The Pujyapāda says-“That which makes distinction between one substance and another is called a quality, and the modification of a substance is called a mode. A substance is associated with these two. Further, it is of inseparable connection and