Jainism from the View Point of Vedantic Acaryas

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: B J Institute

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Jainism from the view point of Vedantic Acāryas
amārtaṇḍa, p. 156). Vādidevasūri (Syādvādaratnākara, p.738) and Gunaratnasūri (Şaḍdarśanasamuccayaṭīkā, p. 357-58) were also aware of these objections raised by the opponents. Most of these defects of anekāntavāda pointed out by the critics are only minor variations of three major defects viz., contradiction, doubt and intermixture.
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In defence of Anekāntavāda or Syādvāda :
We have seen that Jaina's Anekāntavāda or Syādvāda as a philosophical method has been the subject of criticism of all non-Jaina philosophers. But certainly, these are not fair criticisms of the Jaina method. These criticisms do not satisfactorily meet the contention of the Jainas. The Anekāntavāda or Syādvāda of the Jainas, is neither a doctrine of doubt or even uncertainty, nor a doctrine of probability. These, criticisms are based on misunderstandig of the word 'Syad' used by the Jainas. To understand the Jaina position, it is important to know, in what sense, the word 'Syat' is used by the Jaina philosophers and how they present the doctrine of Syādvāda or sevenfold predication (saptabhangi). The speciality of the Jainas lies in its use of the 'Syať' particle in the predication. That is why saptabhangïnaya (Sevenfold predication) is called Syādvāda.
Generally, the word 'Syat' is used to mean 'perhaps' or 'may be' or 'somehow' or 'somewhat', in Sanskrit language. It is also used sometimes to express probability (sambhāvanā). In Indian philosophical text the