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SYADVADA: THE JAIN THEORY OF PERCEPTION Dr. S.S. Yadav
Whatever discussion is going on for past few years is strongly grounded on how we perceive 'things' differently. In this way we find a view of perception in Jain philosophy which is called otherwise syādvāda. Different schools of philosophy have given some different pictures of reality, as a result, there is an ambiguity and metaphysical confusion and sometimes contradict with each other. Finally we are at a loss to know which theory should be accepted
Syadvāda is the foundational theory of Jainism which teaches us the first and last lesson of everyday behaviour life of the people. According to Jainism the nature of things is complex and it has infinite number of characteristics. In describing the characteristics one has to look at the form of different points of view, therefore, the comprehensive description of the varied nature of the object is possible by different predication involving affirmation, negation and inexpressibility.
Syad means to particular context and one point of view. It refers to a particular universe of discourse. The Syādvāda doctrine is based on the predication of affirmation and negation. Syādvada is primarily synthetic designed to harmonise the different view points arrived at by nayavāda. Nayavāda is a synthetic and mainly verbal, although it is sometimes maintained that conceptual is also verbal and the verbal method is so much changed with epistemological characters'. It is the formulation of the doctrine of the possibility of apparent contradiction in a real whole. It is that conditional method in which the modes or predictions, affirm, negate or both affirm and negate
1. Pravacanasāra : ed. A.N. Upadhyae, 1995, Introduction.
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