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Jain Logic in its own limited sense only."The affirmations will tell either about the existence, or non-existence or about the existence and non-existence, or about the inexpressible. Combining these again the first three with the fourth we derive the seven alternatives technically known as Saptabhangi-Naya or the seven-fold Judgements." 3.3.4 Sevenfold Application of Syādvāda (Conditional Assertion)
The sevenfold applications are known as Sapta-bhangiNaya. In our previous discussion about the Syādvāda we have taken note of the fact that the knowledge of reality is bound to be partial and therefore only relatively true but can never be absolute. To express the knowledge the proposition should begin with the word 'Syāt'. In fact, "every Naya in order to become Pramāņa or valid knowledge must be qualified by Syāt. “Syāt is said to be the sumbol of truth."51 It is relative and successive knowledge."'52 "To reject Syät is to embrace unwarranted absolution which is directly contradicted by experience."53
Now the seven forms or predications and their characteristics may be treated with reference to the stock example of a pot (Ghata):1. In a certain sense, the pot is
. (Syādasti Ghatah) 2. In a certain sense, the pot is not.
(Syādnásti Ghatah) 3. In a certain sense, the pot is and is not.
(Syādastinastica Ghatah) i 4. In a certain sense, the pot is inexpressible.
(Syädavaktavyam Ghataḥ) 5. In a certain sense, the pot is and is inexpressible.
(Syādastyavaktvyaśāca Ghatah) 6. In a certain sense, the pot is not and is inexpressible
(Syādnādstyavaktavyaśca Ghatah) 7. In a certain sense, the pot is, is not and is inexpressible.
(Syädastināsti cāvaktavyaśca Ghataḥ)
50. Prof. S. N. Dasgupta, A History of Indian Philosophy Vol. I (1975) P. 180 51. Apta Mimāns.-X-112. 52. Ibid., X-101.
53. Ibid., I. 7
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