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The General Conception of Knowledge
81
Two stand-points based on Dravya and Paryāya : The Jainism maintains seven stand-points? (nayas), according to which a thing is judged. The first three of them are Dravyarthika-nayas and the remaining four are Paryāyārthika-nayas. Dravyārthika-nayas point to universality while Paryāyārthikas to particularity. The first group carries the idea of one in many and the second that of many in one. These two stand-points do not contradict each other but represent two aspects of the same reality.
Each of the ideas of generality and particularity can be further discussed in two relations i. e. (i) in relation to time and (ii) in relation to number. The same clay undergoes many successive stages of lump, jar etc. The idea of the unity of clay in all these stages is based on vertical universality (ürdhvatāsāmānya). It generates the idea of unity in many successive stages of the same object. The units that are linked together by this universality are not simultaneous but exist one after another. The experience of cowness in all the numerically different units of cows is due to horizontal universality (tiryaksāmānya). Individual cows though different in number, possess a uniting link of cowness. Corresponding to these two types of universality ther: are two types of particularity also. Both types of universality are presented by dravya. A reality is called dravya both when it stands as one in all the tempoTally or numerically different units. The stand-point representing dravya is known as the dravyārthika-naya. In the case of particularity the successive stages of temporal diversity is represented by paryāya and that of space or number is represented by guna. But, the stand-point representing the both, guna as well as paryāya is Paryāyārthika. There is no Guņārthika. This means that paryāya is a comprehensive term which includes both types of difference. There are many references in
1. Anuyogadvāra 139 2. Prameyakamalamārtanda, p. 466
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