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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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METAPHYSICAL INTERPRETATION OF NAYA
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4.3 So far, we have studied the logical and epistemological interpretations or the concept of naya. Now, we may now try to understand the metaphysical implications and content of the concept or naya. From the metaphysical point of view, naya can be distinguished into two types: (1) Niścayanaya (the ultimate point of view) and (2) vyavahāranaya (the phenomenal point of view). Niścayanaya presents the picture of the object and its meaning from the ultimate point of view. We may call it the noumenal point of view, because reality can be looked at from the phenomenal and noumenal point of view. The noumenal point of view, goes to the source of the reality and finds out the ultimate meaning of reality. Vyavaharanaya is the phenomenal point of view, it is analytical in nature and it presents the picture of the object in its relation to other objects. It is relational in its aspect. Vyavahāranaya is sometimes considered to be secondary to the niscayanaya. It is called upa-naya also. Acārya Kundakunda says vyavahāra naya is "abhūtārtha" (the relational thought) and niscayanaya refers to the bhutartha in the sense it is ultimate and pure (suddha).1
Niscayanaya, being śuddhanaya, grasps reality in its ultimate aspect, while vyavahāranaya is practical in its approach, and tries to understand the phenomenal nature of reality.
In the Jaina Agamic literature, there is distinction of the niscaya and vyavaharanaya whose functions are to look at reality from two points of view. i, e., from the ultimate and the practical points of view, just as in the advaita philosophy, we have the ultimate and the practical points of view which are referred to as "Paramarthika and vāyvahārika dṛṣṭi". The Buddhist mention the paramartha and sāṁvrtta points of view. The Upanisads mention the sthula and the sükşmadṛṣṭi. But there is difference between the Jaina approach to the problems and the approaches of the other absolutistic philosophies. Jainas look at reality from the niscayanaya in order to find out the real nature of the object, with reference to its substance and not so much with reference to the distinctions and paryāyas. But they do
1 Samayas āra gatha 11
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