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NYĀYA AND JAINA EPISTEMOLOGY
In Jaina realism the principle of non-absolutism is carried to its logical extent. Syādvāda, which is the distinguishing feature of Jaina epistemology claims to yield valid knowledge by synthesizing the partial standpoints regarding a fact of experience in an organized totality resulting in completeness and comprehensiveness of knowledge. The attitude of Jainism is through and through realistic. The seven judgements of Syādvāda are not merely subjective views about the object but there are actual elements in the objective world corresponding to them. These elements are limited by the time, nature, mood and place and accordingly there are seven forms of real relationships. The Jaina view of subjectiveobjective relationship comes close to realist theory of material object and its attributes. Berkeleyan idealism deprives the primary qualities also of their reality and reduces matter to subjective idea. However, modern realism is a protest against this form of extreme idealism and it advocates the doctrine of independent reality of matter and extreme realists go to the extent of saying that even secondary qualities have a real basis in matter itself. The Jaina theory of Syādvāda can be compared to this extreme realistic theory of the secondary qualities. The predications of the Syādvāda express our subjective views, i. e. what we have expericed but they have grounds in objective reality itself. “It is the real relations subsisting in the objective reality, outside and independent of us that are faithfully reflected in the propositions of the sevenfold predication”. 12
Annotations : 1. Pramānanayatattvālokālaňkāra-Vadi Devasūri, IV, 14, tr. by H.
Bhattacharya, p. 333.
