Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 64

(38) : Jaina Philosophy of Language power of denotation of the meaning. The word consists of the quality of expression but expressible is different from that. The word is expressive and the object is expressible. The process of comprehension of meaning (Artha-bodha) in Linguistic knowledge
According to Jainas the knowledge produced by language is articulate (Śrutajñāna). After hearing the words to comprehend the meaning of the sentence and again to express the same in words, is the function of articulate knowledge. Thus, listening and pronunciation are the basis of the articulate knowledge. It is matter of deep consideration as to how the meaning of a word is grasped after hearing it. There are two forms of words used in the language viz. (i) written and (ii) uttered.
The meaning of written words is known through the eyes (the organ of sight), while the uttered word is known through the organ of hearing. If we take language in a wider term accepting non-alphabetical symbols there in, we find that in some circumstances comprehension of meaning is possible through the sense of touch also. Thus, there are three senses which provide meaning of the term viz. 1. Sense of touch, 2. Sense of sight and 3. Sense of hearing. Sense alone are not able to provide meaning if thought oriented mind and intellect are absent there. A blind man in absence of sense of sight comprehends the meaning of the term through sense of touch by touching the object, as they read Braille script easily. According to Jainas in artha-bodha, use of all above-mentioned three senses alongwith mind is important. Let us see the utility of these senses and mind in the process of cognition.
According to Jaina masters when a speaker wants to express his thoughts and feelings to others, it is mind, which first of all becomes active. After the mind, the speech becomes active. After speech the body and then after the speaker's sound system receives the atoms of speech variform (Bhāṣā-vargaņā). Then it transforms into language or in special word-sounds and finally excretes the form of sound and gets them out. These linguistic matters emerged in sound form, spread over the sky as sound waves. The Jainācāryas have considered these sound waves as spreadable/transmissible (Prasaranaśila). Prajñāpanā-sütra admits that the sound waves of speech variform go to the end of the universe.