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Preface
something is stated about a substance, viewed through a flux of modifications, there would be seven modes of predication.
Ācārya Samantabhadra, in Āptamīmāṁsā: कथञ्चित् ते सदेवेष्टं कथञ्चिदसदेव तत् । Ae142401 a eta Hotell (88) O Lord ! In your reckoning, the object of knowledge is in a way existing (sat); in a way non-existing (asat); in a way both existing and non-existing (sat as well as asat - ubhaya); and in a way indescribable (avaktavya) [further, as a corollary, in a way existing (sat) and indescribable (avaktavya); in a way nonexisting (asat) and indescribable (avaktavya); and in a way existing (sat), non-existing (asat), and indescribable (avaktavya)]. These assertions are made in accordance with the speaker's choice of the particular state or mode of the object - паyа.
Things are neither existent nor non-existent absolutely. Two seemingly contrary statements may be found to be both true if we take the trouble of finding out the two points of view from which the statements were made. For example, a man may be a father with reference to his son, and he may be a son with reference to his father. Now it is a fact that he can be a son and a father at one and the same time. A thing may be said to be existent in a way and non-existent in another way, and so forth. Syādvāda examines things from seven points of view, hence the doctrine is also called saptabhangī naya (sevenfold method of relative comprehension). It is stated as follows: 1. PAG 3tfa ya (syād-asti-eva)
In a way it simply is; this is the first ‘nuance', with the notion of
affirmation. 2. PIIG FIRA Ta (syād-nāsti-eva)
In a way it simply is not; this is the second ‘nuance', with the notion of negation.
(XI)
