Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 19

(xvi)
2. What is the cause of Sphota? A particular sound produced by an effort is the cause of sphota.
3. What are the proofs for Sphota? The usage of the terms like 'Gaurityekaṁ padam' is a proof for sphota. There are so many letters like 'c', 'o' and so on. It is not possible to enfold them as one single linguistic unit. Moreover, the letters fail to convey the meaning individually and this also accomplishes the 'sphota".
As far as the opinion of the Jaina philosophers regarding the word is concerned, they present a synthetic viewpoint. The Jaina's view regarding the Nature of Word
The Jaina philosophers have regarded words on the one hand as modes of matter (Pudgala-paryāya) and on the other hand in a form of language, cognitive also. Acarya Umasvati in his Tattvärtha-sutra (524), while discussing the various modes of matter, has described the word also as a mode of matter. The Uttaradhyayana-sūtra, an ancient Agama also depicts words etc. as characteristics of the matter.
Sadda'ndhayara-ujjo-o pahā chāyā''tave i vā /
Vanna-rasa-gandha-phāsā puggalāṇaṁ tu lakkhaṇam //
(Uttaradhyayana-sūtra 28/12)
Acārya Kundakunda has made this Agamic concept more clear when he says:
Saddo khamdhappabhavo khaṁdhoparamāṇusangasandhādo/ Putthesu tesu jāyadi saddo uppädago niyado //
(Pañcāstikāyaṣāra-79)
A word is born out of Skandhas (aggregates) and a skandha is produced by the combination of atoms. When there is a friction/collision between them, the word is produced. But to regard a word merely a mode of matter (Pudgala-paryāya) does not do justice with the Jaina contention. It is; of course true that the sound of word is a mode of matter and this sound is produced by the material friction (gharṣaṇa) of the material lumps (Pudgala-Pindas). Again, the matter is of two kinds ‘aṇavaḥ skandhāśca' (Tattvārtha-sūtra5.25) i.e. (i) atom and (ii) aggregates of atoms. The matter, which is always the cause and never an effect, is called atom. The atoms are