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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
occasion should be principally adopted at that time and on that occasion. If we were to employ the sangraha-naya on the occasion demanding the adoption of vyavahāra-naya, there would be no difference between wife and mother, master and servant, etc., and there would ensue great confusion. If we were to employ the vyavahāra-naya on the occasion appropriate for the application of sangraha-naya, then there would be difference and discrimination everywhere and the noble sentiment of love and friendliness would be totally effaced from the heart of man, giving rise to conflict, violence and quarrels. If one were to adopt naigama-naya on the occasion appropriate for the adoption of sabda-naya, then one would call a man an ascetic, merely because he is clad in the dress of an ascetic, though he may be quite lacking in spiritual qualities essential for an ascetic. And if one were to adopt vyavahāra-naya on this occasion, which is appropriate for the adoption of sabda-naya, then one would call a man an ascetic, simply because he performs external activities (rites) prescribed for an ascetic, in addition to wearing a dress of an ascetic, though he may be lacking in spiritual qualities essential for an ascetic. But the one who adopts sabda-naya considers him to be a hypocrite and calls him a pseudoascetic; he regards only that man an ascetic, who has cultivated in himself the true spiritual qualities essential for an ascetic. On such occasion, śabda-naya is principal. On every occasion, therefore, we should use our power of discretion to decide as to which naya is appropriate for that particular occasion.
A man may be ugly, though his name is Sundarlal (= handsome). And a lady may be poor, though her name is Lakşmi (= wealth). But one whose viewpoint is naigama, naturally calls him and her by their respective names. And a person whose viewpoint is sabda-naya has to adopt the naigama and to call him or her by their respective names, however hard he may feel to do so, because on such an occasion naigama-naya is appropriate.
Sabda-naya does not consider it to be wrong to employ any one of the synonyms to convey or express the concerned meaning or thing. But, as stated above, it maintains that the meaning or thing differs with the difference in tense, gender, etc., of the words which are regarded as synonymous.
Samabhirūdha-naya (Etymological standpoint): According to this standpoint, each word has its own meaning. There is only one word for one meaning. No two words mean the same thing. Sabda-naya accepts the difference in the meaning of the synonymous words when they have different tenses, different
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