Jain Journal 2012 07

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

Page 29

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLVII, NO. 1-IV JULY.-JUNE 12-13
(sambhāvanā). Thus under Pānini Sūtra 1.4.96, in the example 'sarpiso pi syāt', the 'syāt'is explained as 'a chance of'. But the Jaina 'syāt'is even different from this use of 'syāt’in the sense of probability. In the Jaina use 'syāt' means a “conditional yes'. It is like saying, “in a certain sense, yes”. It amounts to a conditional approval. The particle
syāt', in fact, acts as an operator on the sentence in which it is used. It turns a categorical (‘A is B') into a conditional (ʻIf p then A is B').
Samantabhadra in his book Āptamīmāṁsā has commented upon the meaning of 'syāt' as follows: "vākyesvanekānta-dyoti gamyam prati-višesakaḥ, syānnipātortha-yogitvāt tava kevalināmapi”, i.e., ‘when the particle 'syāt'is used in a sentence, it indicates, in connection with other meaning, non-onesidedness; it qualifies (since it is a particles=nipāta) the meaning (of the sentence concerned)''. In the next verse (V.104), Samantabhadra notes that syāt 'is ordinarily equal to such expression as 'kiñcit or ‘kathañcit' ('syādvādaḥ sarvathaikānta-ryāgāt kisvíttachidvidhiḥ, saptabhanga-nayāpekso heyādeya-višeșeș”)?0. But even these terms, 'kiñcit' or 'kathañcit', according to Matilal, do not have in this context such vague meanings as 'somehow' or sometimes'. They mean: 'in some respect' or 'from a certain point of view' or 'under a certain condition'. Thus the particle ‘syāt' in a sentence modifies the acceptance or rejection of the proposition expressed by the sentence". Ācāryya vimaladāsa also says that, “syācchabdaḥ kathañcidarthak” i.e., the word syāt' means 'in some way' or 'somehow'12. Ācāryya Hemacandra says that the use of the word 'syāt' implies the expression of anekānta attitude '3. Vimaladāsa also says in this same line in his book Saptabhangi Tarangini that. "syātsabdāsya ca anekāntavidhivicāradisu bahusvārthesu sambhavatsu ihā vivakşāvasadanekāntarthou grhyate!4" that is to say, among the many possible meanings in the consideration of (many) ways of non-absolutism, the meaning of the term 'syāt'has been chosen as non-absolutism here under the pressure of expressions. According to Akalamkadeva, the function of the syāt' is two-fold, in giving emphasis on the validity of anekānta