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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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attributes of a thing are infinite why should there not be infinite predications ? The answer jto this is, that it is true that there are infinite attributes of a thing, but each attribute can be expressed in the sevenfold predications, and hence there would be infinite number of sevenfold predications. If each attribute were to express one predication only, then there would have been infinite predications for infinite attributes, but that is not so. Each attribute or characteristic has its seven-fold predications and its nature can be expressed in the sevenfold predications. Thus there would be infinite number of seven-fold predications.
Acārya Siddhasena and Abhayadevasūri maintain that the primary predications of the seven-fold predications would be affirmation, negation and inexpressibility. The other four predications are permutations of the same. They are “vikalādesī" (partial expressions). 2 Similarly, Ācārya śāntisūri in his Nyāyāvatāra-sútravārtikas has also suggested that the primary predications of asti, nāsti and avaktavya are “sakalādesi' and the remaining four predications are vikalādesi. But Upādhyāya Yaśovijaya in his Jaintarkabhāṣā says that all the seven predications of the Saptabhangi are sakalādesi as well as vikāladeść. Akalanka and Vidyānanda have said that the seven-fold predications are all 'sakalādesi and 'vikalādeśī'. 4
Those Ācāryas who have considered the primary predications of sat, asat and avaktavya as 'sakalādesi' and the remaining 'vikalādesi' are of the opinion that the first predication is of identity or non-difference from the substantial point of view and we get a full knowledge of the nature of the substance. The second predication refers to the paryāyas, and from the point of view of non-difference in the case of the predication of negation, we may get the comprehensive picture of the object. The third predication of inexpressibility expresses the concept of difference (bheda) in an implicit way (avivaksita). In this
1 2 3 4
Tattvärtha Ślokavārtika 1, 6, 52. Sanmati tarka, saţika, p. 446 Pt. Dalsukh Mālvania Ed. p. 94. Pujya Gurudeva Ratnamuni Smrti Grantha, p. 133,
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