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NAYAVADA: sin A Study
HOUGHT AND ITS BASIS
Nayavāda is a significant contribution of the Jaina logic and epistemology. If helps to understand the nature of an object in a comprehensive way. It is the basis of the principle of Anekānta.
It would be necessary to understand the foundational processes of thought for the sake of our knowledge of the Nayavāda. The empirical activities are of three types :
1. Concerned with knowledge and its effects. 2. Concerned with the objects and its modifications. 3. Concerned with the language and the use of the word.
The process of thought in which there is the predominance of a purpose or a will, it is jñānāśrayī, based on the knowledge. Naigamanaya is of this type. That which is based upon the object is arthāśrayi. Sangraha, vyavahāra and rjusūtra nayas are arthāśrayīs as they primarily refer to the objects and there modification. In these nayas, there is the analysis of the varied aspects and distinctions of objects. The sangrahanaya is primarily concerned with finding out the unity in the diversity of the modes of the objects. Nyāya and Vaiseșika system of philosophy are based upon vyavahāra naya. Kşanikavāda of the Buddhists is an expression of rjusūtranaya. The nayas which are concerned with the analysis of words and the linguistic study are called šabdāšrayī. Śabda, Samabhirūdha and Evarbhūta nayas are pertaining to the words. These nayas are primarily concerned with the linguistic study and the persons who study these give importance to the science of language.
On the basis of the considerations mentioned above we may analyse the characteristics of the nayas as :
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