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JAINA THEORIES OF REALITY AND KNOWLEDGE
of the two methods we may now proceed to consider them in their natural order.
The Definition of Nayavāda
A naya is defined as a particular opinion or (abhiprāya or abhimata) or a viewpoint (apekṣā)—a viewpoint which does not rule out other different viewpoints and is, thereby, expressive of a partial truth (vastvamśagrāhī) about an object (vastu) --as entertained by a knowing agent (jñāt??). A naya is a particular viewpoint about an object or an event, there being many other viewpoints which do not enter into, or interfere
1. This is the general definition (sāmānya lakşaņa) of a naya. The
specific feature (višeşa laksana) of each particular naya will be noticed later on. To express the nature of a naya, in the words of Prabhachandra: anirākrtapratipakşo vastvaṁśagrähi jñāturabhiprāyo nayah / PKM, p. 676. There are numerous variant forms of the definition of a naya. But they all express substantially, but often more elaborately, the whole, or a part, of the connotation so briefly indicated by Prabhāchandra's definition. See, for instance, NKC, Vol. II, p. 606 f., f.n, 1, in which the editor has enumerated about as many as thirty such variant forms. In AGAM, pp. 142-3 (tippanäni), under 'naya' the same editor has made a few editions to the forms, The following, not necessarily found in the above-mentioned two places, may, however, be cited here:
arthasyānekarūpasya dhih pramānam tadamsadhih / nayo dharmantarapekşi durnayas tanniräkȚtih //
ASA on AMS, 1.47. pramāņaparicchinnasya anantadharmātmakasya vastuna ekadeśagrāhiņaḥ taditarā msapratiksepino adhyavasāyavid eşa nayaḥ/. JTBY, p. 21 (cf. PNTA, VII. 1, and SRK thereon, in SRK, p. 1044). nayantiti rayah anekadharmätmakam vastu ekadharmena nityamevedam anityameveti va nirūpayanti/" See NKC, Vol. II, p. 606 f., f.n. 1.
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