________________
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
SVABHAVAVADA (THEORY OF NATURE)
According to this theory, everything takes place according to its nature. Nothing happens contrary to its nature. Svetasvatara upanisad mentions svabhāvavada. The Bhagavadgitāa and Mahābhārata have given a description of svabhāvavāda. In the Buddhacarita, we get the description of svabhāvavāda and it has been stated that according to this theory, the pointedness of the thorns and the variety in the birds and animals is due to the very nature of these things. Svabhāvavāda does not recognise the will or efforts of the individual. Acārya Haribhadra in his Sastravārtāsamuccaya, says that according to svabhāvavāda the events and experiences are determined by the very nature of the objects. For example, the various stages of life like the childhood and oldage are determined by the nature of the individual. There is no external force. Svabhāva plays an important part in the life incident and experiences of individual beings. In fact, even pulses and rice can be cooked due to their very nature. For every action, the nature of the event or the object is the determining factor. This theory of svabhāvavāda does not recogaise the creator or the controller of the universe except the very nature of the objects and even ts.
Niyati-vada (Theory of necessity-Necessarianism)
According to this theory, everything happens out of necessity. What is to happen must happen, there is no chage in that. Everything is determined and there is nothing left to chance. Freedom of will has no place in the niyativāda. The western philosopher Spinoza says that it is due to igonorance that we say that we are free and that freedom of the will is an impotrant factor. Whatever happens, must happen. We cannot change the past because the past has already gone. We do not know the future and it is not desirable to swing
1 Śvetasvatara 1, 2
2 Bhagavadgītā 5, 14
3 Mahābhārata Santiparva 25, 16
4 Buddhacarita 52
5 $āstravārtāsamuccaya 169-172
Jain Education International
415
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
