Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 17

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substance. Shri Udayanācārya has used a valid opposite argument to it: 'Sabdo na dravyam, bahirindriyavyavasthāhetutvāt rūpādivat' (NyāyaKusumāñjali 2/1). That is to say, as the eyes see the form and the tongue receives the taste, similarly, the sense organ by which a word is received is the auditory sense. Thus, like the attributes of form and the taste, a word also being received by the auditory sense is as an attribute and not the substance. Refuting the so-called fundamental-inference (mūlāumāna), Udayanācārya said 'na hi śrotraguṇatve dravyatve vä'siddhe sākṣāt sambandhena sabdasya grahaṇe pramāṇamasti'. This discussion regarding the merit and demerit is very old and long indeed. Bhāṭṭa are determined, however, in their contention that the word is one, eternal and permanent substance.
The speaker produces a short of vibration in air by his effort in pronouncing (the word) and the vibration tears the numb air in his orifice of the ear (karṇaśaskulī) and gives expression to the word.
Pārthasarathi Miśra has gone so far as to say that if the word at all is to be regarded an attribute, it could be an attribute of air rather than of ākāśa -'satyapi guṇatve vāyuguṇatvāt' (Nyāya-Ratnāvalī, p. 738). Kumārila Bhatta, in this context has added a new dimension when he says that it would be better to regard direction (disa) as śrota rather than the empty-space (ākāśa) covered by the orifice of the ear (karna-śaşkuli), because in the pralaya every modification merges in its own nature (Prakṛti). The word (the heard-word) like wise get merged in the direction'Diśaḥ śrotam' (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad -3.2.13).
The word is an attribute
(a) Prabhākara's opinion: Śālikanātha Miśra says that we receive only those words, which are within our hearing-space. The word präpti (to receive) here means Samavaya (inherence). The word is an attribute of auditory sense pervaded with ākāśa (empty-space)- 'Pariseṣyāt samavāyaḥ praptiḥ, ākāśaguṇaḥ śabdaḥ' (Prakaraṇa-pañcikā p. 424).
(b) Naiyayika's opinion: It is not reasonable to refute the fact that Sabda is an attribute of Ākāśa- ‘yadidaṁ nākāśaguṇaḥ śabdaḥ iti pratiṣidhyate, ayamanupapannaḥ pratiṣedhaḥ, aasparśatvācchabdasya (Nyaya-bhāṣya, p.100).'