New Dimensions in Jaina Logic

Author(s): Mahaprajna Acharya, Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Today and Tommorrow Printers and Publishers

Page 70

62 New Dimensions in Jaina Logic
Of the seven nayas the Pantoscopic, the Synthetic and the Analytic viewpoints fall under the category of substantial viewpoint. The remaining four, viz. the Momentary, Verbal, Etymological and Functional viewpoints constitute the category of modal viewpoint.
According to another system of classification the first four viewpoints which are mainly concerned with the ontological aspect of a thing are called the ontological viewpoint (artha naya). The remaining three, being mainly concerned with the linguistic aspect, are called the verbal viewpoint (sabda naya).
The Pantoscopic viewpoint is called an idealistic standpoint (jnana naya) on account of its being concerned with the speaker's will or intention and also because the past and future modes referred to in this viewpoint are mere ideas and do not reside in an external object.
A viewpoint (naya) has a double function, viz. experience of the object and its verbal expression. All the viewpoints may be considered idealistic (jñāna naya) on account of their being of the nature of experience. They can also be considered as linguistic (sabda naya) on account of their being expressed in verbal propositions.
The nature of a thing (substance) is sometimes determined with reference to its intrinsic nature or the material cause (upädāna kärana) while on other occasions it is determined with reference to modes arising from extraneous sources. In the former case the viewpoints may be called material (niscaya naya) and in the latter the formal (vyavahāra naya).
The doctrine of non-absolutism falls under two divisions, viz., complete comprehension through pramāna and partial assessment through naya. The entire object is revealed by the pramana, whereas only a particular aspect is determined by the naya. The entire object comprehended through the principle of non-absolutism is analysed in parts by means of the system of nayas. The water from the ocean contained in the pot can neither be called an ocean nor non-ocean, but it can be called only a part of the ocean. Similarly, a naya though arising from the pramāna is neither a pramāņa nor a non-pramäna."
A viewpoint (naya) is limited in its activity to the presentation of its own subject matter. It is called a naya so long as it does not refute the rival viewpoint.2 As soon as the refutation of a rival