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82
Pravacanasāra
[p. 86:] NAYAVĀDA AND SYĀDVĀDA TRACED BACK IN JAINA LITERATURE.-- It is already shown that Nayavāda and Syādvāda are thoroughly consistent with Jaina ontology and theory of knowledge; but this is only a synthetic view. So it is necessary to trace the antecedents and side-links of them in the early Jaina as well as cognate tracts of Indian literature and to try to shed light on the historical back-ground of these tenets. For this line of study it should be remembered that there are certain handicaps inherent in the very preservation of Indian literature; and Jaina literature is no exception. The canon of the Svetāmbaras, though portions of it can be as old as the 3rd century B. C. or so, has been finally shaped in the middle of the 5th century A. D.; the fragments of the procanon of the Digambaras can be dated a few years earlier than the beginning of the Christian era; both the canon and pro-canon always leave scope for additions and omissions, besides huge portions falling into oblivion, being always preserved in the memories of monks, till a definite shape was given to them by commentators who came much later. Taking these conditions for what they are, the seeds of both Nayavāda and Syādvāda are to be sought in early literature. The word Naya in the sense of a view-point occurs in the Ardhamāgadhi canon of the Svetāmbaras;1 Prajñapti mentions Niscayanaya and Vyāvahārika naya.2 Turning to the pro-canonical literature of the Digambaras, Kundakunda refers to Vyavahāra and Niscaya-naya in his Samayasāra, Pravacanasāra, Pañcāstikāya and Barasa-Anuvěkkha more than once;3 at times he refers to Paramārtha-naya, Suddha-naya which appear to me, in the light of the context and other passages, to be equal to Niscayanaya;4 perhaps he admits the possibility of a view which is above these two (pakşātikrānta);5 and lastly he has in view the possibility of Nayas more than two.6 Umāsvāti mentions five or seven Nayas.? After Umāsvāti, Samantabhadra very often refers to Nayas; his discussions being always of a synthetic and non-enumerative character, he does not enumerate seven Nayas. The later authors like Siddhasena, Pūjyapāda, Akalanka and a host of them discuss these Nayas as given in Tattvārthasūtra at times differing among themselves on subtle details.8 Next turning to Syādvāda, the word Syādvāda, or Saptabhangi
1 See Ardhamāgadhi Dictionary, Indore, s.v. 2 Dhruva: Syādvādamañjarī noes, p. 303; I have consulted Ardhamāgadhi Dictionary
and I find that the Nayas like Naigama, Samabhirudha etc. are traceable to Thāņamga and Bhagavati; but, as some of these texts are not within my reach I have not been able
verify the references of the Dictionary. 3 Samayasāra: gāthās 7, 12, *5, 27, 46, 47, 48, 56, 59, 60, 67, 84, 98, 360 etc., and 16, *5,
27, 29, 33, 56, 60, 83, 272, 324 etc.; Pravacanasāra I, 89 for dravyārthika and paryāyār
thika I, 19, 22; Pancāstikāya 161 mentions niscaya; B.-Anuvěkkha 82, 85, 86, 91. 4 Samayasára 8, 43, 11, 12, 14, 141, 272 etc. 5 Samayasāra 142. 6 Ibid, 144; it remains a question why we do not find any of the tedhnical names of nayas,
excepting perhaps Vyavahära, in the works of Kundakunda. There is a work called
Nayapāhuda attributed to Kundakunda, but it is not discovered as yet. 7 Tattvārthasūtra I, 33, especially the various commentaries thereon. 8 Chakravarti: Pañcāstikāya Intro. p. 52 etc. and Dhruva's notes referred to above.
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