________________
Words denote only the intention (vivaksā) of the speaker and not any object.
THE JAINA VIEW OF WORD AND MEANING
The Jainas adopt the golden mean between the Denotive and Nondenotive theories of meaning. They criticise both these rival theories and try to reconcile them by adopting the middle position. According to them both these theories are partial and one-sided (Ekantika). Hence according to Pujyapada the real solution can be attained only by Anekanta ("siddhih anekāntāt”). Commenting on the above sutra Samedeva writes. "only Anekanta can explain the nature of word, its relation with object and the apprehension of its meaning, Words seem to have contradictory qualities of eternity and non-eternity, existence and non-existence, substantive and adjective, etc."11 These can be reconciled only by Anekantavāda which believes in the manifoldness of reality and the language-games.
I. Refutation of the Denotive theory of Meaning
The Jainas refute the denotive theory or picture theory of meaning. According to them if language is said to be denotive of meaning, it may mean three things
1. Words contain the meaning. 2. Words contain the knowledge of the meaning.
Words contain the power to communicate the knowledge of the meaniag.
(1) Words contain the meaniug
Language can be said to be a picture of reality or word may be said to contain the meaning, if there is complete identity (Tādātmya) between word and reality. In that case, words will have the same characteristics as facts, but that is not the case. For, as Prabhachandra argues, then if the word "sweet” is uttered, mouth would have been sweetened, and it should have cut injuries when the word "knife" is uttered. 12
11. Siddhih sabdānām nispattirjñāptirvā bhavantgenakantāt
Astitva anastitva nityatvānityalva. Višesana višesya dyatmakatvāt. Drstesta pramāna virüddhatvāt.
4-22
Mahavira Jayanti Smarika, 76
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
