________________
124
PROLEGOMENA TO PRAKRITICA et JAINICA
Gradually, in course of time, these three original propositions came to be known as mūlabhanga, particularly when the syāduāda developed into sevenfold propositions in the Pravacaņa-sāra and Pañcāstikāya of Kundakunda belonging to the 1st or 2nd century A.D.
In his commentary also Devanandī has only mentioned three propositions which are sat (affirmation), asat (denial) and avaktavya (indescribability) and not the sevenfold propositions as described by late logicians.
Among the other Jaina Āgama texts, in the Sūtrakrtānga Niryukti, the reference to the Syādvāda is found.
After the period of canonical speculation, came the age of systematization in the 1st or 2nd century A.D. This is the age of Umāsvāti and Kundakunda. Umāsvāti (1st or 3rd century A.D.) makes no mention of the Syādvāda, not to speak of its seven propositions. In his Tattvārthasūtra (V.32), he, for the first time, refers to the principle of Relativity or Anekānta in his sutra,
arpitānarpita-siddheḥ (TS. V. 32) which means "the contradictory views are established (arpita) from different points of view." Pujyapāda Devanandi or Jinendrabuddhi (bet. 5th and 7th centuries A.D.) in his commentary Sarvärthasiddhi on the Tattvārthasūtra comments on this sūtra thus (translated by S.A. Jain, see pp. 157-158) :
"Substances are characterised by an infinite number of attributes. For the sake of use or need, prominence is given to certain characteristics of a substance from one point of view. And prominence is not given to other characteristics, as these are of no use or need at that time. Thus even the existing attributes are not expressed, as these are of secondary importance (anarpita). There is no contradiction in what is established by these two points of view. For instance, there is no contradiction in the same person Devadatta being a father, a son, a brother, a nephew and so on. For the points of view are different.
