Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 52

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languages, the symbols/signals of which are without alphabets. We have already discussed about the language without alphabets. In the present context we are concerned only with the alphabetical language (akṣarātmakabhāṣā) because ordinary people understand by the term language only language that has words and letters.
Generally speaking the human beings express their thoughts through sentences. These sentences are made of words/terms and the terms/words, are made of letters. Thus the fundamental or the final material cause of the language are letters.21
Definition of Letter (Varna)
Ordinarily, vowels and consonants used in a language are called 'letters' (aksara or varṇa). Ācārya Jinabhadragaṇi Kṣamāśramaņa says that aksara means that from which meaning falls off (kṣaraṇa) but which never falls down (kṣarita) it self: ‘atthe ya kharai na ya jeṇa khijjai akkhara teņa' (Viseṣāvaśyaka-bhāṣya-461). According to him to call vowels and consonants as akṣara (letters), is based on their conventional meaning (rūḍhārtha). As a matter of fact which falls off the meanings but does not shake off it self, or which does not loose own nature or identity, is letter (varna). From this point of view knowledge is called as akṣara. Thus, the consciousness or knowledge-potentiality of soul is really eternal (Aksara). In the Jaina terminology, the knowledge or cognitive potentials of the soul is eternal ((Akṣara) in absolute sense. But from the pragmatic or substantial point of view, the sounds of vowels and consonants or the symbols pertaining to the scripts are also called as aksara.
Types of letters
The Jainācāryas have recognised three types of letters namely Akṛtirūpa (figure form), Dhvanirūpa (sound form) and Jñānarūpa (cognitive form). On the basis of these three forms there are three classes of the letters, viz. (i) Saṁjñākṣara (alphabets/script), (ii) Vyañjanākṣara (spoken letters) and Labdhyakṣara25 (Power of attainment of meaning). Saṁjñākṣara means the particular shape and form of the letters of a script. Samjñākṣara thus are the letters of scripts26 (lipyākṣara). Maladhāri Hemacandra refers eighteen types of script prevalent at that time. Vyañjanākṣara means a word that expresses certain meanings. In other words, the sounds or the pronunciations of vowels and consonants