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Jaina Theory of Multiple Facets of Reality and Truth
with ‘astitva' should not be ‘nāstitva' as is contrasted by its counterpositive ‘astitva', but the negation of other entity like pațābhāva, ghatābhāva etc.; otherwise such absolute negation as 'nāstitva' might, together with its counterpositive ‘astitva', coexist in its locus viz. pot. Unless the absolute negation, in the present context, is understood by the additional qualification viz. pratiyogi-vyadhikarana, or in other words, if the example of the absolute negation is sought in anything coexistent with its counter-positive, it is invariably led into one-sided dogmatism where a pot is always connected with 'existence' only. And in view to evading such absolute existence attributed to a pot, the term 'syāť is to be added. To make it explicit, the term 'syāt intends to denote equivocal (anekānta) aspect of reality from the universal point of view, and the term 'asti' etc. is employed in view to informing the reality from a particular point of view. (The interpretation of eva' is taken here from SBT pp. 25-30)5
To sum up, by way of verbs like 'is' (asti) or 'is not' (nāsti), particular nature 'existence' or 'non-existence' is unconditionally shown, and further its conception is made distinct and clear by limiting itself and excluding other alien natures, with the aid of 'eva'. Though the term 'eva' is in use for such purposes, yet in a proposition like 'A pot simply exists' (asty eva kumbhaḥ) where exists' connotes absolute unrestricted existence, the pot might exist as a pillar or anything else alike, and, as such cannot have its own intrinsic nature. For the apprehension of that, the term 'syāt is employed. The function of the term 'syāť
5. Such interpretation seems to have originally been started by Buddhist logicians
like Dharmakīrti, Jñānaśrīmitra etc., and borrowed by other schools of Indian philosophy. With regard to Buddhist interpretation of 'eva etc. found in Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, a reference should be made to 'Interpretation of Propositions in Buddhist Philosophy—-purport-determining function of eva' (in Japanese language) by Yuichi Kajiyama, Commemoration Volume in Honour of Dr. E. Kanakura, Tokyo 1966, pp. 423-38. Moreover it should be noted here that such interpretation of eva is, in a figurative sense, employed by Hemacandra in titling two works of his: Ayogavyavacchedadvātrimśikā (lit. a set of 32 stanzas in which the allegation that Jainism is wrong is disproved and Anyayogavyavacchedadvätrimśikā (lit. a set of 32 stanzas in which the allegation that other systems are right is disproved).
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