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Aspects of Jainology : Volume VI
accepted in Upanişadas and Buddhism. So far as Jain- cations Jaina ācāryas put a qualifying mark before ism is concerned it is in the Bhagavatisūtra where for each of the predication / statement, so that the affirthe first time these different ways of expressions mation or negation or even in-expressibility of predi(Bhangas ) are found. In Bhagavatisūtra (975) while cation may not be taken as absolute. This qualifying dealing with the concept of Hell, Heaven and abode mark is the word 'Syāt' (RIC), which being put of Siddhas, Lord Mahāvira mentioned only three before every predication, removes the every possiways of expression, i. e., affirmation, negation and in- bility of uncertainity and indefiniteness of the prediexpressibility but while dealing with the aggregates cation and make the predication conditional as well of the different numbers of atom, he mentioned more as relative. The seven-fold conditional predications than twenty-three ways of expressions. Pt. Dalsukha are as follows: Malvania is right when he says that of course we have
1. Conditional affirmation ( PTC 3a) seven predications or Saptabhangi in Bhagavati
2. Conditional negation (RICH ) sūtra, but in my humble opinion these different ways 3. Conditional inexpressibility ( RICE 37972) of expressions (Bhangas ) do not represent the doc
4. Conditional affirmation and negation retrine of seven-fold predications rather it is only a prior spectively (PITE 3a z titaa) state. Here, these ways of expressions are framed on 5. Conditional affirmation and inexpressibilthe number of atoms in aggregates. Secondly, this ity ( RT 3 7 379mai a) discussion may be a later interpolation because in
6. Conditional negation and inexpressibility Tattvārthasütra and its auto-commentary, this concept ( Rua ia o 370mai 7 ) of seven-fold predication is absent. Thirdly, it is also 7. Conditional affirmation, negation and inclear that neither in Bhagavatisutra nor in the expressibility (स्यात् अस्ति च नास्ति च अवक्तव्यं च) Tattvärthasūtra and it's auto-commentary, the theory It is noteworthy that for Jainas inexpressiof seven-fold predication is systematically presented bility (anirvacaniyatā or avyaktavyatā ) does not dein its logical form, with number of predications as note absolute inexpressibility as Vedānta means. It is seven and only seven. For the first time in Siddhasena only conditional inexpressibility because simultaDivākara's Sanmatitarka, this theory of seven-fold neous affirmation and negation are not possible in our predication is logically presented. After that in Apta- linguistic expressions. mimāmsă of Samantabhadra (c. 5th ), Sarvārtha- The Jaina doctrines of non-absolutism, considdhi of Pūjyapāda (c. 6th ), Pañcāstikāya ( 14 ) and ditional predication and view-points yielded good Pravacanasāra ( 2/23 ) of Kundakunda (c. 6th A. D.) results particularly in that age of philosophical dispuand some other later works of this period this doctrine tation as well as religious and social conflicts. of seven-fold conditional predication has been discu- Though the Jaina thinkers made optical estimation of ssed in detail. In general, there are only three types of the philosophical assumptions of other schools of our linguistic expression - affirmation, negation and thought yet they paid proper respect to them and acceinexpressibility. On the basis of these three funda- pted their Truth value on the basis of different Nayas. mental ways of linguistic expressions and their com- In this regard the views of Siddhasena Divakara and binations mathematically only seven predications are Haribhadra are commendable. Siddhasena tried to possible neither more nor less. In order to show the establish the truth value of other schools of thought conditionality or relativity of these seven-fold predi- on different view-points. He said Sankhya school is
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