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Concept of Nikşepa in Jaina Philosophy : 49 intended meaning of a word precisely in a particular context of its use. This method of knowing the intended meaning is called Niksepa.3 The Basis of Nikṣepa
The basis of niksepa can be analyzed into four aspects as (1) primary (pradhāna), (2) secondary (apradhāna), (3) imagined (kalpita) and un-imagined (akalpita). Out of nāma, sthāpanā, dravya and bhāva, bhāva, is un-imagined dụști, hence it is primary. Other three are being concerned with the mental constructions fall into primary. These three are expressions, which are primarily concerned with grammatical and linguistic analysis of the statements and not so much with the expositions of the nature of the object.
Utility of Nikṣepa
Niksepa is dialectical technique. According to Anuyogadvāra-sūtra the main function of niksepa is to clear the meaning and to find a definite meaning of the words. The function of niksepa as Laghiyastraya describes is to remove the inadequate meaning of a word and to present the exact meaning. It removes the ignorance; doubt or perversity of meaning and determines the exact meaning of the word used. Pt. Sukhalalji Sanghvi in his commentary on Tattvārthasūtra writes,' the chief medium of all the human conduct and transaction of knowledge is language. According to the intention of the speaker and the given context, the same word may be used in different meanings. In any case, four meanings at least are had by each and every word. It is these four meanings that are the four classification of its general meaning. This classification is known as nikṣepa by knowing which the intention of the speaker is easily and clearly known. On account of the definition of the niksepa, a natural question arises as to what is the necessity of the theory of niksepa in the logical analysis of the meaning of the term, when the theories like Pramāņa (valid knowledge) and Naya (theory of standpoint) are already
