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BANERJEE : ANEKĀNTAVĀDA AND LANGUAGE
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permanent and transitory. When it is nitya (permanent), it is a dravya (substance), and when it is anitya (transitory), it is called paryāya. The description of a substance in the form of dravya and paryāya is the basic tenet of anekāntavāda. Umāsvāti defines dravya thus:
guna-paryāya-vad dravyam (TS. V 38) "A substance is that which has qualities and modes."
On the basis of the commentary Sarvārthasiddhi this definition can be explained thus. The basic idea is that in a substance the qualities and modes exist. The qualities of a substance are always associated with the substance (dravya). But the modes are not always associated with the substance (dravya). The Pujyapāda says. "That which makes distinction between one substance and another is called a quality, and the modification of a substance is called a mode. A substance is associated with these two. Further, it is of inseparable connection and permanent. The qualities are the distinguishing features of a substance and the lack of qualities would lead to intermixture confusion of a substance'."
When this definition is applied to soul and matter, the distinguishing features are clear to understand. Soul has the quality of consciousness, while matter has not got it. So, "souls are distinguished from matter by the presence of qualities, such as, knowledge, while matter is distinguished from souls by the presence of form (colour) etc. Without such distinguishing characteristics, there can be no distinction between souls and matter". So knowledge and consciousness are the qualities always associated with souls, while forms, i.e. colour etc. are associated with matter.
The Relativity of Knowledge:
The Anekānta teaches us the principle of the relativity of knowledge which is an important contribution to the domain of truth. An example of this partial truth is found
1. S.A. Jain, Reality, p. 162.
