Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Traverses on less trodden path...
sub-categories viz. qualities and modes. Qualities are permanent aspect of a substance and modes are changing aspect of it. Without knowing the distinction between these two, the definition of reality or substance given by the Jains cannot be understood. Some of the scholars not aware of this subtle distinction existing between qualities and modes, used these two terms indiscriminately. Even, an eninent scholar like Jadunath Sinha writes that “there can be creation and destruction of its qualities and modes. The substance is permanent though its qualities and modes are created and destroyed. It persists through its changing qualities which appear and disappear. A substance is said to be created and destroyed because of its qualities and modes. It is permanent, though its qualities and modes are constantly changing "15 This kind of opinion is not justifiable because we have already seen that according to Jains, substance has two types of attributes, some of which are permanent through all changes, they are called gunas or essential qualities and the other attri. butes change through modifications, they are called modes or paryayas.
The main charge against this definition is that, it is self-contradictory to attribute both permanency and change to one and the same thing. The real cannot be permanent as well as transitory at the same time. How is it possible that mutually contradictory things like hot and cold should simulteneously belong to one and the same thing? To attribute both permanency and change to one and the same thing involves law of contradiction.
in reply to this objection Jains state that there is no contradiction involved and no violation of law of contradiction in applying opposite predicates to the same thing in different capacities. They are applied to its different aspects such as substance, state, space and time. It is also seen that mutually contradictory elements can exist in one and the samething in different capacities such as, the same man is a father to his son, son to his father, husband to his wife, brother to his sister and so on. There is no contradiction if we consider primary and secondary meaning of the speaker in cach statement, 16 This tripled character of substance is upheld by all the later thinkers of Jainism, showing that, origination, destruction and permanence can exist in one and the same. thing without contradicting each other. Samantabhadra (7th A.D.) states that if a golden pot is destroyed and a golden crown is made out of it, destruction, origination and continuity happen simulteneously and give rise to sorrow, joy and indifferent attitude respectively in the mind of 15. A History of Indian Philosophy -Vol. II. J. N, Sinha 1952, P. 216. 16. Arpitānarpitasiddheḥ-T.S.V-31. 17. Sarvärthasiddhi-V-32 comment. P-303.