Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 83

Jaina Philosophy of Word : (57) considered as separate entity. This problem transpired because we overlooked the difference of distinguishable on the level of thought and separable on the level of experience. There are such things that we can separate them on thought level only but empirically they can not be separated e.g. universal and particular cannot be separated from each other. Universality is an intangible fact accepted in individuals on the basis of some similarities, but that cannot be seen separate from individuals. Therefore, the denotation of word can be particular qualified with universal.
In this whole discussion, we must care that the language is related with factual world. The entity, which is beyond experience and transient, can not be denoted by the words or language. The facts beyond the experience are described by language as ‘neti-neti', i.e. 'not this-not this' or the transcendental entity ‘Brahman' who defies all descriptions and as such the language fails to describe the same in words. Thus, beyond the empirical reality, there is no approach of words and language. That is why, the contemporary logical analyst called the metaphysical transient ideas as meaningless because they are unverifiable. In the opinion of Indian philosophers, they are inexpressible (avācya). The denotation of word is, no doubt, empirical fact or individual possessed of universal, hence that word can only be subject of denotation. According to Jainas, the subject of experience is individual possessed of universal (jätyänvitavyakti), hence that is the denotation of word24. They call universal as analogical cognition.
However, this whole exercise of universality and particularity of the denotation of word is meaningless because the words have their own nature and accordingly they denote the universal or particular. Some words are of the nature of jāti (universal) viz. human being, and some are of the nature of vyakti (individual/particular) viz. Sagarmal. Simultaneously, the denotation of word does not depend exclusively on the nature of words but on the context in which the word is used. Thus the Jainas do not accept any one sided view in his regard.
The word and its relation with its denotation (meaning)25
What is the relation of word with its denotation, and the object denoted by it, is an important question to be discussed. It is fact that the