Saptbhanginaya

Author(s): Kannomal
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Pustak Pracharak Mandal

Page 4

INTRODUCTIE
Jainism is really a pluralistic doctrine called Anekântráda (अनेकान्तवाद ) or Syadvada (स्याद्वाद ). Anekântvâda means assuming various qualities or properties in an object. Syâdvâda means the assuming of one quality or function in an object from some particular point of view for a timenot for all times. The Anekânt or Syâdvâda may therefore be called a doctrine of an unlimited variety of points of views. This doctrine points to the relativity of knowledge concerning all the objects of the world. The force which constitutes the specific form of an object is its reality. It is in consequence of this reality that an object is called real in Jainism.
According to Syâdvâda philosophers, a thing that is real, has three characteristics,-production, destruction and stability. Every object that seems to be stable is liable to both production and destruction. Take for instance, a mango tree. It always appears to bear leaves. Do all these leaves always remain the same? No, the leaves which we see on it this year, would not remain the same next year. The leaves that it bore