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Jaina Logic
367
the doctrine of naya demonstrates the mutual compatibility-the possibility of standing together-among even such statements as are apparently contradictory. The seed of such compatibility lies in the viewpointthe intention of the speaker or thinker concerned.
When on any topic-e.g. the nature of soul-a system of philosophy treats as wholly true the partly true view of a person deemed authoritative by it, then the other systems of philosophy which hold views that are true but opposite to its own are held in contempt by it and regarded as untrustworthy. Similarly, some other system of philosophy holds this first system in contempt, and both hold in contempt some third system. The result is that in place of mutual accord, there crops up discord which generates conflict. So it is with a view to opening the door for a true and complete knowledge and with a view to eliminating conflicts that the doctrine of naya has been established. The doctrine of naya effects logical and intelligible synthesis of apparently contradictory views. It generates among people the understanding of the various aspects of a thing or Reality and thereby removes conflicts, mutual discord and controversies and achieves harmony. Thus the doctrine of naya is the doctrine of synthesis. It is an art of how to effect synthesis of apparently opposite views. It is the doctrine of relative standpoint. It is also called the doctrine of apekṣā. The term 'apekṣā' here stands for the standpoint or intention of the speaker or thinker.
Siddhasena Divākara declares that there are as many standpoints (nayas) as there are the ways of expressing Truth or Reality in words. Two things follow from this one that the standpoints are countless and the other that they are closely related to verbal expression. Each and every standpoint can be expressed in words. Therefore, it can be secondarily described as verbal. Thus we can maintain that there are two types of nayas (standpoints), viz., bhāva-naya and dravya-naya. Bhava-naya means a naya that is cognitional or conceptual (jñānātmaka). Dravya-naya means a naya that is verbal (vacanātmaka).
In his Tattvārtha-ślokavārtika Vidyānandasvāmi says:
1. jāvaiā vayanapahā tāvaiā ceva homti nayavāya /
jāvaiă nayavāyā tāvaiā ceva parasamayā 1/-Sanmatitarka, III. 47 Meaning: There are as many standpoints (nayas) as there are ways of putting a proposition. And there are also as many views of non-Jaina philosophers as there are standpoints (nayas).
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