Jainism from the View Point of Vedantic Acaryas

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

Page 64

Śri Rāmānujācarya and Jainism
word 'Syat' is often used in the sense of 'let it be so' (but-syādetad). Here it is used to show the speaker's provisional acceptance of the opponents view to raise different kind of objections against it and to refute it finally.
But the word 'Syat' used by the Jaina thinkers, is different from all these meanings. In the Jaina philocophical tauts the word 'Syat' means a conditional yes.
WIV VT VA W
Prof. B.K. Matilal has rightly pointed out that 'It is like a saying', in a certain sense yes. It amounts to a condition approval. The particle 'Syat', in fact, acts a categorical 'A is B' into a conditional: 'if P then A is B'. (The central Philosophy of Jainism, p.52). The use of the particle 'Syať' is to show more concession to opponents' thesis and at the same time, it persuades the opponent to see another point of view or carefully consider the other side of the case (Ibid., p.52).
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Jaina philosophers like Samantabhadra, Akalarka, Vidyananda, Amṛtacandra and others have tried to show that the word "Syat' is used to remove, one sided view. Samantabhadra notes that the word 'Syať' is ordinarily equal to such expressions as somehow or sometimes. But even these terms do not have in this context, such vague meaning as somehow or sometimes (kadācit or kathañcit). They mean in certain respect or under a certain condition or from a certain point of view (P सर्वथैकान्तत्यागात् किंवृत्तचिद्विधिः । सप्तभङ्गनयापेक्षो हेयादेयविशेषता ॥ Aptamimämsä, 104).
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