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Syādvāda and Judicial Process
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Syādvāda”. What we know by the analytical process of ‘Nayavāda', we express by the synthesis of ‘Syādvāda'. Though Etymological meaning of the word 'Syāt is ‘perhaps' it is not used to suggest a doubt but is used to suggest a relative truth and to rule out the doctrine of absolutism because, ‘Syādvāda' is obviously based on premise that every proposition is only relatively true. Its truth is related to the aspect through which and the limitations under which it is seen. Thus
Syādvāda' is nothing but the linguistic expression of 'Anekāntavāda'. Ācārya Hemacandra equates Syádvāda' with 'Anekānta' when he says
syādityavyayamānekāntaḥ dyotakani' meaning, the word Syâtis an adverb carrying the meaning of Anekānta. Thus 'Syādvāda' and “Nayavāda' are the corollaries of 'Anekantavāda'.
Once we are convinced that everything in the universe has infinite characteristics, and that limited knowledge which a human being possesses is not capable of apprehending all these characteristics, what should be our correct reaction to a thing, thought or a problem which comes across us in life? Surely, if our approach is objective and unbiased it should be, we would not rush to take an absolu iew of that thing, thought or problem because we know that limited as our knowledge is, our judgement based on limited data is likely to be wrong. As Burtrand Russel observes, “the distinctive picture of an unintelligent man is the hastiness and absoluteness of his opinions. The scientist is slow to believe and never speaks without modification-always ready to concede that it may be wrong."
The ‘modification contemplated by Russel is one contemplated by ‘Syādváda' which uses the prefix ‘Syāt before every positive or negative preposition.
The theory of 'Syādvāda’enters into the thinking process of a judicial mind. None of us, not even a very highly trained judge, who has to deal with life's problems daily, would be able to reject the first impressions created by his past experiences, but as a seeker of truth, he approaches the data collected by him with an open mind, being all the while conscious of the fact that his first impressions are only 'likely' to be true, (Syät Asti). At the same time, he does not allow himself to forget that these first impressions are 'likely' to turn out to be untrue,
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