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(72) : Jaina Philosophy of Language to the Jainācāryas, the term is that by which meaning is comprehended33 While defining term, Vādideva Sūri in his Pramāṇanayatattvālokālankāra?4 says that a term is an absolute group of relative letters. In my opinion, this definition may be right in case of a 'word'; but cannot be regarded correct in the case of 'term' because a term is always relative to a sentence. In the Nyāya philosophy, defining the difference between a word and a term, it is said that if there is a case (vibhakti) at the end of the letters as per rule, it is designated as 'term'35. The difference between the word and term is that while the meaning of the word being bereft of case (vibhakti) is absolute or non-relative to the sentence, the meaning of the term, being associated with case, is relative to the sentence. In other words, a word, if used as a part of a sentence, is a term. A word does not require a sentence to express its meaning, but a term, being a part of a sentence, has its meaning relative to its sentence. For example the word 'cow' expresses its meaning irrespective of any sentence, but when we say 'the cow' - the term will not clear till the whole sentence 'bring the cow', is not present. This is the difference between a word and a term. The word used in a sentence with case is called as term. Term is a part of sentence, and its meaning is relative to the sentence whereas the word is non-relative to the sentence. A word when used in a sentence with the case (vibhakti) becomes a term. We will now discuss the nature of sentence in our next chapter. References:
1.
Bhāsā naṁ bhante ! kim pavahā ? Goyamā ! sarirappabhava bhāsä, Prajñāpanasūtra, Bhāsāpada, 11/15 Tattvärtha-sútra, Trans. by Pt. Sukhlal Sanghvi. p 129 Dhavala, 93/4,5, 26/2017 referred in Jainendra-siddhănta-kośa Vol. IV. p-3
2.
4.
Ibid. 14/5-6, 83/61/12, referred in Jainendra-siddhanta-kośa Vol. IV, p-3
Abhidhānarājendra-kośa Vol. VI, p-338 6. Pratipădyate vastvaneneti śabdaḥ, Ibid. p. 338
Bhāṣātattva Aura Vākyapadiyap. 117 8. Väkyapadiya, Bhartshari 1/23 9. Prajñāpanā-sūtra, Bhāsīpada, 15 10. Jainendra-siddhānta-kośa Vol. IV p. 3
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