Jain Journal 2007 10

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

Page 38

Veer Sagar Jain: ABrief Outline of Jain Nyava
4.1.1 Niścayanaya (transcendental standpoint) and Vyavaharanaya (practical standpoint)
Transcendental standpoint views an object keeping the identicallity (commonality) and not the tradition. Practical standpoint tries to look at differences and practicality / tradition.
For example, according to transcendental standpoint, Jīva is eternal, non-concrete and not going through many life-cycles. While discriminating its attributes of knowledge, intuition etc or looking at its modes in different life cycles and calling it concrete is practical standpoint. Similarly, many other simple examples can be cited to explain these two nayas. Another example is to call a pitcher made of soil as soil is transcendental standpoint, while to call it a pitcher of butter (as it is used to store butter) is the practical standpoint. To summarize, to call an entity as per its nature is transcendental standpoint and to describe it due to its association etc with others is called as practical standpoint.
(MILK..
83
BUTTER
WATER
The picture above shows three pitchers all made of sand / clay. One is having milk; the other is having butter and third is having water. The Transcendental standpoint will say that all pitchers are clay pitchers, while the practical or Modal standpoint will call one as milk pitcher, the second as butter pitcher and third as water pitcher.
4.1.2 Dravyarthika naya (Substance standpoint) and Paryāyārthika naya (Mode standpoint)
We have earlier defined a substance as always with both generic and specific characteristics. This generic and specific-ness of an object is also described as substace and mode characteristics as generic