Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

Page 32

JAINISM ITS HISTORY, PRINCIPLES
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of which gold is made are unchanging, but its form as a chain or a ring originates and perishes. A particular point of space is the same, but its occupants are different at different times. Time is ever the same, but the appearances and events associated with it are frequently changing. This is the case with everything that exists.
SYĀDVĀDA OR ANEKÄNTAVĀDA
The Jains have not been satisfied with merely emphasizing these three aspects of existence, but they have formulated on this basis a system of thought called Anekāntavāda or Syādvāda, which comes to this that we may make seven assertions, seemingly contradictory but perfectly true, about a thing: It is (syādasti); it is not (syännästi); it is and is not (syadasti-nästi); it is indescribable (syadavaktavyam); it is and is indescribable (syadasti ca avaktavyam ca); it is not and is indescribable (syadasti nāsti ca avaktavyaṁ ca). A man is the father, and is not the father, and is both-are perfectly intelligible statements, if one understands the point of view from which they are made. In relation to a particular boy he is the father; in relation to another boy he is not the father; in relation to both the boys taken together he is the father and is not the father. Since both the ideas cannot be conveyed in words at the same time, he may be called indescribable; still he is the father. and is indescribable; and so on. Thus, the philosophy of Anekanta is neither self-contradictory nor vague or indefinite; on the contrary, it represents a very sensible view of things in a systematized form.
There is yet another approach to the proper understanding of objects and events. When we take a co-ordinated view of things, we are said to be resorting to naigama naya. When we are inclined towards generalization, it is sangraha naya; and when inclined towards particularization, it is vyavahāra naya. When a specific point or period of time is of the essence, it is rjusutra naya. When differentiation is made according to the usage of language and grammar, it is sabda naya. When derivative significance of words is ignored and conventional meaning is accepted, it