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in this essay. The point, however, is made to avert the possible confusions of mixing between them.
STUDIES IN JAINISM
The expression Saptabhangi or syadvada literally means a set of seven formulae. Each one of such formulae is prefixed by of the expression 'syat'. It is on account of this that the doctrine Saptabhangi is also known as Syadvada. The expression Syat', as mentioned in the beginning of the paper, is rendered and understood in a particular way i.e. in the sense of a modal predicate or modal notion. It is this phenomenon that causes a considerable strain in understanding it as clearly as possible. However it may be. One point, nevertheless, is clear viz. that the expression Saptbhängi is understood as a set of seven formulae each one of which is prefixed by the expression "Syat'.2
It is clearly ackowledged that the expression 'syat can indeed be used in various senses. Yet out of the plurality of all these different senses only two are mainly to be prominently highlighted in the context of Syadvada. The one of them, in the sense of a grammatical particle (avyaya) is so very clearly mentioned by many authors. The other, on the contrary, in the sense of a potential (lin), however, is left understood by some texts. This sense is clear, however, not only from dictionaries but also from reliable Jaina philosophical texts. This second sense, though, has an important consideration about it as will become clear in the sequel.
It is argued that although the word or expression 'syat' is understood in the sense of anekānta, vidhi vicāra etc., yet in the context under consideration, that is, fixation of the significance of the expression in the context of Saptabhangi, it is, nevertheless, to be understood in the sense of anekanta.5 Anekanta means that a given object or thing is (potentially) beset with many dharmas. The grammatical particle (avayaya) syat is indicative (dyotaka) of this. Syadvada as a doctrine arises from this consideration. Syadvāda, thus, essentially is that hypothesis (abhyupagama) in accordance with which it happens to be maintained that (any) one thing is (potentially) beset with many dharmas, invariable or variable (nityānitya). Understood in this way, Syadväda is that frame in terms of which we are in a position to explain and justify our contention that as a matter of fact different dharmas can be predicated of a given thing.
