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SYÁDVÁDA:
the basis of Jaina Philosophy
WHAT IS SYADVADA?
Anekāntavāda is a special contribution of the Jainas to the philosophical world. It is the unique contribution that the Jainas have made to the logic and epistemology. It is the foundational principle for philosophical position of the Jainas. Anekanta is the basic attitude of mind which expresses the fundamental principle that reality is complex and it can be looked at from different points of view. The points of view are the nayas and the naya is the psychological expression of the basic principle of anekānta. Syādvāda is the logical expression of nayavada in predication from. It has the significance of expression and communication in the logical and predicational pattern.
Syädvada is formed of the two words 'syať' and 'vada'. 'Syat' very often supposed to suggest the meaning of 'doubt' or 'perhaps' but 'syat' does not express doubt or uncertainty. It refers to a point of view or in a particular context, or in a particular sense.1 'Vada' presents a theory of logic and metaphysics. Syadvāda means a theory of predication of the description of reality from different points of view, in different contexts or from different "Universes of discourse." Syadvada is the expression of the pictures of reality obtained from different points of view in definite and determinate logical predications.
1 (a) Aştasahasri, p. 296.
(b) Pañcāstikāyaṭīkā—Ṣri Amṛtacandra
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