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Nyaya Criticism of Anekānta
If anekanta is accepted, it would be possible that one does an action and another enjoys its fruit. An intelligent person may not employ himself even in the activity of dining etc. When a king and others would dine, the satisfaction would occur to the naked Jaina monk. And if argued that it would never happen, then one has to endorse the ekānta.16
Moreover it is contended that atman is admitted either as eternal or non-eternal, both ways the faults are bound to arise. Hence atman should be regarded as both eternal and non-eternal.17 But if it is accepted as both eternal and non-eternal, then the faults as pointed out on both the sides are bound to arise, and who else wiser than the naked Jaina monk is there to avert the faults?
It is, therefore, concluded that atman is eternal alone. When a pleasure inhering in ātman is produced, he is called happy, and when a misery is produced, atman is called miserable. Production and destruction take place only in respect of pleasure, pain etc., and not in respect of atman. For example, when a staff is held by Caitra, he is called staff-bearer, and when it is not held by him, he is called staffless. 18
99
Samantabhadra has attempted to establish the anekanta by citing an example of a bracelet, a crown etc. But it is not true. When a golden bracelet is broken, the person who wanted it becomes unhappy. And when a golden crown is made out of it, the man who wanted it becomes happy. The person who was interested only in gold remains neutral in both the events, as when a man deposits his object at the house of a merchant, he does not become unhappy, and when after having used that object, the merchant gives it back to him, he does not become happy, he remains neutral in both the events."
19
Here according to the Nyaya view, all the three things, i.e. a bracelet, a crown and gold, are different from one another. And one cannot, therefore, assert that one and the same thing is eternal and non-eternal
16. Ibid, p.555.
17. Ibid, p.555. 18. Ibid, p.555-556. 19. Ibid, p.556.
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