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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
Saptabhangi (Sevenfold Judgement) As we have already seen, syāduāda (anekānta-drsti=non-one-sided view) makes a synthesis of many attributes, viz., existence and non-existence, permanence and impermanence, etc., in one and the same thing from various standpoints. This leads to the understanding that the nature of a thing should be expounded as it is, taking a comprehensive all-sided view of the thing. Someone desirous of knowing the nature of a thing asks a question: 'Is the pot impermanent?' If somebody, in answer, says, "Yes, it is certainly impermanent', then the statement is either untrue or incomplete. If he thinks that he has made the statement after full consideration, taking into account all the aspects of the thing, then the statement is not true. It is because when considered from the comprehensive standpoint, the pot is proved to be permanent as well as impermanent.
n one particular standpoint only, then
Adhyātmopanişad (I Adhikära). abaddham paramarthena baddham ca vyavahārataḥ / bruvāno brahma vedānti rānekāntam pratiksipet //50// Meaning: The Vedāntins who regard Brahman as bound from the empirical standpoint and unbound from the transcendental standpoint recognise the importance of syādvāda. Let us take a simple instance of the application of the method or doctrine of syādvāda. kasyacid gunakȚd dugdham dosakāri ca kasyacit / ekasyāpi daśābhede syādvādo 'yam prakāśate // eko 'rtha upayogi cānupayogi ca jāyate / avasthābhedam āíritya syādvādo 'yam prakāśate // ekam eva bhaved vastu hānikțl läbhakāri ca / avasthābhedam āíritya syādvādo 'yam prakāśate // (Author Nyāyavijaya) Meaning: Milk is suitable to some and harmful to others. Not only that, but it is suitable and harmful to one and the same person at different times in his different conditions. One and the same object is useful to a man in one state and useless to the same man in another state. One and the same thing is beneficial to a person in one condition and harmful to the same person in another condition. The purport of the above statement is made clear in the following explanation. Someone asks a general question: Is milk beneficial or harmful? How can we say, in answer, categorically that it is beneficial? Or, how can we say categorically that it is harmful? In fact, it is proper to say that it is both beneficial and harmful from different standpoints. Of course, if we are required to make statement keeping in view a particular condition or occasion, we should give an answer in accordance with that condition or occasion.
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