Prashamratiprakaran

Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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5. Syadasti ca avaktavyam: Relatively, a thing is existent and is indescribable.
6. Syannastica avaktavyam: Relatively, a thing is existent and is indescribable.
7. Syadastica nastica avaktavyam: Relatively, a thing is existent, nonexistent and indescribable.
The significance of this Sevenfold judgement is that our knowledge, regarding anything is relative; everything exists from the point of view of its own substance, space, time and form and it does not exist from the point of view of others substance, space, time and form (Pr.202-6). A Jar for instance, exists from the point of view of its substance: clay, its space-the room in which it is, its time, the present moment, and its form or mode which is its particular shape-having narrow neck, broad belly, red colour, etc. The Jar does not exist from the point of view of another substance, say silver or gold, another room, another time and another shape etc. When we affirm these two different standpoints (existent and non-existent) successively we get the third judgment a 'Jar' is both existent and non-existent. If we want to describc its existence and non-existence simultaneously, than Jar becomes indescribable, i. e., neither real nor unreal. This is the fourth judgement. Form of fifth judgement is that, from a particular point of view, the Jar exists and it is also indescribable (Pr.205-com.). Because there is no one word which can describe its existence and non-existence simultaneously. Similarly the statement that the 'Jar' does not exist, and is also indescribable, forms the sixth judgement. Relatively, 'Jar' exists, also it does not exist and somehow it is indescribable. This is the seventh judgement. These three forms of judgements are really combinations of indescribable with 'is' 'is not' and 'is' and 'is not' respectively. The same theory can also be applied to the soul. The soul exists from the aspects of its own substance, space, time and form and while from the point of view of another's substance, non-soul, it does not exist(Pr. 202).
CLASSIFICATION OF KNOWLEDGE :
Knowledge is classified into immediate and mediate (pratyakṣa and paroksa) (Pr. 224). Avadhi, manaḥparyaya and kevala are the three kinds of immediate knowledge which may be called extraordinary and extrasensory perceptions. They are called immediate (partyakṣa) knowledge, because these are acquired not through the medium of senses. Avadhi is clairvoyance. It is direct knowledge of material things even at a distance of space or time. It is called 'avadhi' or 'limited' because it functions within a particular area and up to a particular time. It cannot