________________
डॉ सागरमल जैन : व्यक्तित्व एवं कृतित्व
are useful for his purpose or the occasion. Though there are infinite standpoints corresponding to infinite objective aspects of athing yet for the sake of convenience they are divided into seventypes, viz. naigama, sangraha, vyavahāra, rjusütra, sabda, sarmabhirudhaand evarnbhūta. Dr. Jain explains them lucidly. After that he takes up the topic of niksepa.
Language is the chief means of communication. It is made up of words. Each word has a meaning. And each meaning has four facets or aspects which are called nikṣepa. On this or that occasion a word is employed to convey its meaning in one aspect only. On the occasion propriety of the one aspect and impropriety of the remaining three aspects are determined by various conditions like context etc. The four aspects of ameaning are label or name-aspect (namaniksepa), representation-aspect (sthāpanā-nikṣepa), past-future-state-aspect (dravya-niksepa) and actual-activityaspect (bhava-niksepa). When we employ the word 'raja' (meaning king) to denote a person who is given the name/ label'raja' to recognise him and who possesses no qualification appropriate to the king, the meaning king is to be taken in its label-aspect(name-aspect) only. When we employ the word 'raja' to denote a photograph, image or any representation of the king, the meaning king is to be taken in its representation-aspect ony. When we employ the word 'raja' to denote a photograph, image or any representation of the king, the meaning king is to be taken in its representation-aspect only. When we employ the word 'raja" to denote a person who was king in the past or is going to be king in future but at present is not king, the meaning king is to be taken in its past-future-state-aspect only. When we employ the word 'raja' to denote a person who is actually carrying the royal sceptre and is shining on that account, the meaning king is to be taken in its actual-activity-aspect only. Thus, a word, when employed, yields its meaning with any one of its four aspects, the aspect is to be determined by context etc.
The sixth chapter discusses the power of language to express athing or object concerned. It is pointed out that there does not obtain a relation of identity or container-contained between a word and the thing concerned. There obtains a relation of denoter-denoted between them. This is a conventional relation. A convention is fixed that a particular word will denote things of a particular class. In other words, at the time of fixing convention, the convention is fixed with regard to general features or universal of an individual which is present. Convention can never be fixed with regard to individuals because they are infinite and spread out over the three divisions of time and throughout the universe and hence all the individuals cannot be present at the time when and at the place where the convention is being fixed. And if convention is fixed with regard to a particular individual, then at the time of communication the individual perceived at the time of formation of convention will not be present. Hence it is of no use to fix convention in connection with a particular individual. So, it is maintained that convention is formed in connection with universal or generic features which charcterise all the individuals of a class- the one of which is present there at the time of formation of convention. This being the case words express generic features of an individual and not its particular features. That is, language can never convey a thing in its entirety. Again, we do not have a separate word for each and every subtle state of a thing or substance nor do we have a separate word for each and every state or shade of a quality. There are not as many words as are the varieties of states or shades. None can express in words the difference that is there in the sweetness of jaggery, honey and sugar. This shows how the power of expression is very limited. A very small portion of our experience we can convey to others through language. And only a very small aspect of a thing we can express in words.
The above discussion will certainly enable us, to a certain extent, to answer the question as to in what sense a thing is regarded as indescribable or inexpressible (avaktavya). Dr. Jain discusses the question, while giving different senses in which the term 'avaktavya' can be interpreted.
The seventh chapter is devoted to the discussion of validity or otherwise of a statement. When the meaning
Jain Education International
९७
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
