Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 33

Introduction
: (7)
general, or specific, universal or particular? What is the limitation of meaning that language can express? Is reality indescribable or inexpressible? What is the relation between language and truth? What is the criterion of judging the truthfulness of a sentence or a statement or a proposition? When is a statement true or false? What are the types of statements, which are beyond the categories of truthfulness or falsehood etc. In the present essay we will try to understand these problems in the Jaina perspective.
Analysis of language in Jaina Tradition: an old reference
It was because of a controversy over linguistic analysis that the first division of the Jaina order took place in the lifetime of Mahāvīra. This amply shows how important linguistic analysis was for the Jainas. The controversy was between Mahāvīra and his own son-in-law Jamālī regarding the meaning of the term Kriyamāṇa (Presento-continuous) as to whether it can be regarded as kṛta (past done) or not? Mahāvīra was of the opinion that kriyamāṇa is kṛta while Jamāli regarded kriyamāṇa as akṛta (not done). In the first explanatory (uddeśaka) of the first śataka (collection of hundred verses) of Vyakhyāprajñapti-sūtra Gautama presents these very questions to Mahāvīra.
"O Lord! Is it proper to call moving as moved, fructifying as fructified, feeling as felt, separating as separated, cutting as cut, piercing as pierced, burning as burnt, dying as dead and exhausting as exhausted?
Yes, Gautama it is so! Moving is moved, fructifying is fructified, feeling is felt, separating is separated, cutting is cut, piercing is pierced, burning is brunt, dying is dead and exhausting is exhausted."
Contrary to it, Jamali was of the opinion that any ongoing activity till it is accomplished, cannot be called as 'done' (kṛta). In other words whatever is going on is not 'gone' and whatever is burning is not burnt. Jamali was convinced of this view probably because of a real life-event. While wandering from village to village Jamālī once arrived with his five hundred disciples at a city called Śrävasti. He was taken ill there because of the unhealthy food and was suffering from unbearable pain. He asked his disciples to prepare deathbed (sanstāraka) for him. They started preparing but restless Jamāli was impatient. He kept asking