________________
S.S.Yadav: Syadvāda: The Jain theory of Perception
severally and jointly in seven different ways, a certain attribute in a certain context2. Another term equivalent to 'Syad' and 'eva' is 'Kathañcit". But it is necessary to note here the two term 'Syat' and 'eva' need not necessarily be stated explicity in a model proposition. They are always logically inherent in the nature of a model judgement whether or not they are verbally specified".
27
From the point of view of grammatical presentation of the propositions, there are two forms of predications affirmative and negation. These predications are complementary, because affirmation implies the negation of its opposite and negation implies affirmation of its contrary. From the absolute point of view there is relation between the affirmation and negation. But considered from relational point of view, the two form of proposition affirmation and negation are complementary to each other. These two prepositional form combine to give rise to seven-fold predication as below -
Syad asti - from a particular point of view of its own material, place, time and nature, a thing exists as itself, for example, the pot exists as it is made of clay in a room at the present moment, of such and such, shape and size.
Syāt nāsti - from the other point of view of the material, place, time and nature of another thing, a thing is not, for example; a pot doesn't exist as made of metal at a different place or time of a different place or time of a different space and size. It cannot be denied that it is possible to conceive the existence and non-existence of a thing though not ontologically real. The predications are, therefore, logi
2. Syadvāda-manjari, Malliseh's Comm. ed. by A.B. Dhruva, Bombay 1993, pp.
142-143.
3. Same, page no. 151.
4. Tattvärtha-śloka vartika by Vidhyanand, a comm. on Tattavarthadhigamă sūtra by Umäsvāti, ed by Manohar Lal Shashtri, Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay, V.S. 2444 page 137 and Karika - 56.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
