Nyayavatara

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Sanskrit Book Depot P Ltd

Page 57

Translation with Notes
25
The fruta or scriptural knowledge is of three kinds, viz, (1) false hearing or knowledge (mithyā-śruta), such as that derived from the scripture of the bad Tirthikas; (2) hearing of the one-sided method (naya-śruta), that is, knowledge derived from that part of the Jaina scripture which teaches us to comprehend things from any particular standpoint; and (3) hearing of the all-sided method (syād-vāda-śruta), that is, knowledge derived from that part of the Jaina scripture which teaches us to comprehend things from all-sided standpoints. The naya-śruta (knowledge of the one-sided method) has been described in the previous verse. The syād-vāda (knowledge of the all-sided method) is described below :Syād-vāda, which literally signifies assertion of possibilities, seeks to ascertain
the meaning of things from all possible standpoints. Things are neither existent nor non-existent absolutely. A thing may be said to exist in a certain way and to be non-existent in another way, and so forth. Syād-vāda examines things from seven points of view, hence the doctrine is also called sapta-bhangi-naya (seven-fold paralogism). It is stated as follows:
(1) May be, it is (syād-asti); (2) may be, it is not (syād-nāsti); (3) may be, it is and it is not (syād-asti-năsti); (4) may be, it is indescribable (syad-avyaktavyam); (5) may be, it is and yet indescribable (syād-asti ca avyakta vyañca); (6) may be, it is not and also indescribable (syad nāsti ca avyaktavyañca); (7) may be, it is and it is not and also indescribable (syäd asti ca năsti
ca avyaktavyaħca). When a thing is to be established we say “it is," when it is to be denied, we say it is not." When a thing is to be established and denied in turn, we say “it is and it is not.” When a thing is to be established and denied simultaneously, we say "it is indescribable." When a thing is to be established and yet to be described as indescribable, we say "it is and yet indescribable." When a thing is to be denied and also declared as indescribable, we say "it is not and also indescribable." When a thing is to be established and denied as well as declared indescribable at the same time, we say "it is and it is not, and also indescribable." Syād which signifies "may be" denotes all these seven possibilities, that is, a thing may be looked upon from one of the above seven points of view, there having been no eighth alternative.
प्रमाता स्वान्यनिर्भासी कर्ता भोक्ता विवृत्तिमान् । स्वसंवेदनसंसिद्धो जीवः क्षित्याद्यनात्मकः ॥ ३१ ॥
स्वान्यौ आत्मपरौ निर्भासयितुम् उद्मोतयितुं शीलमस्येति स्वान्यनिर्भासौ स्वस्वरूपार्थयोः प्रकाशक इति यावत् । ... विवर्तनम् अपरापरपर्यायेषु गमनं विवृत्तिः परिणामः सा विद्यते यस्येति विवृत्तिमान् । स्व आत्मा संवेद्यते अनेनेति स्वसंवेदेनं तेन सम्यक् सिद्धः प्रतिष्ठितः प्रतीतो वा स्वसंवेदनसंसिद्धः । क्षितिः पृथिवी आदिर्येषां तानि क्षित्यादीनि। आदिशब्दाद् अम्बु-तेजो-वाय्याकाशानि गृह्यन्ते ।