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170
JAINA PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION
possessing many characteristics (anekāntātmaka) is also known as Anekāntavāda. As it is maintained: 'In the term 'syādvāda', the word 'syāt' expresses many aspects of an object, hence, 'Syādvāda' is called 'Anekantavāda'.'
Thus, the object itself is anekānta, i.e., the substratum of many characteristics. The judgment about the object is 'Syādvāda', because every characteristic is expressed with the word 'syat'. This judgment is also called 'Anekāntavāda', since it expresses the object that possesses many characteristics. Seven-fold Judgment:
The object has been described as the possessor of infinite characteristics. When we select one of the characteristics with its contrary aspect and judge it, this kind of judgment has seven forms, hence, it is called seven-fold judgment.2 The following are the seven propositions with reference to the concrete illustration of pot:
1.
Relatively the pot exist.
2. Relatively the pot does not exist.
3. Relatively the pot exists and does not exist.
4. Relatively the pot is indescribable.
5.
Relatively the pot exists and is indescribable.
6. Relatively the pot does not exist and is indescribable. Relatively the pot exist, does not exist and is indescribable.
7.
In these propositions, the word 'relatively' is most significant. Every judgment bears the stamp of relativity, by which the notion of absolutism is refuted. All our judgments are relative, i.e., non-absolutistic. The proposition 'relatively the pot exists' shows that from a particular point of view the pot exists. This particular point of view is determined by four factors. These factors are the substance, place, time and mode as related to the pot. The explanation of these determining factors is as follows:
1. Anya-yoga-vyavaccheda-dvātriṁśikā, 5. 2. Pramāṇa-naya-tattvāloka, IV. 14.
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