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À SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
277
Again, there is no doubt or uncertainty in the seven-fold predications. We have seen that the word ‘syāt' is not an expression of uncertainty or mere probability. It is the expression of a particular context of a point of view. From a particular point of view the predication is always certain and never in doubt. Therefore, we find that the word 'eva’ is suffixed to the predicate. For example, syāt ghața asti eva'. It means that from a particular point of view of its selfnature the pot exists as a pot, and there is no doubt about it.
+6 ) THE USE OF THE WORD SYĀT
Every predication of the seven-fold predications is characterised by the primacy of the self-nature of predication svadharma. The other nature of the predication (anyadharma) is secondary. The word 'syāt' is used for the sake of giving emphasis on the distinction of the primary and secondary emphases of the self-nature and the other nature of the predications. The word 'syāt' is primarily concerned with empha sising the specific nature of the objects from a particular point of view. It aims at distinguishing between the primary emphasis of the specific nature and the secondary emphasis of the other nature of the objects. In this, the function of denial is not contradictory, but is relational. The word 'syāt, therefore, does give importance to the analysis of the specific nature of the object and not to doubt. This becomes necessary because the nature of the objects and the expression of the objects in the form of language will possibly be different, because words cannot express the full nature of the object of experience, but it becomes necessary to predicate the different aspects of nature from different points of view. If the words had the capacity of a full expresssion of the entire nature of the objects, then syāt would not be necessary. The expression of anekānta would be also possible without the use of the word 'syāt. For instance, in the proposition “aham asmi" (I exist), there are two terms : the subject and the predicate. These are the two terms which are consistent and are related intrinsically to each other. The proposition gives definite meaning of the existence of myself. In this proposition the use of
1. Laghīyastraya, pravacana praveśa 63.
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