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Nature of Reality as Conceived in Jaina Philosophy
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ning that astitva (existentiality or state of existence) changes into astitva (existentiality or the state of existence) i. e. existence of a thing in the form in which it is, and nāstitva (the state of non-existence or nonexistentiality) changes into năstitva (the state of non-existence or nonexistentiality)', i. e. when a thing undergoes transformation into the state other than that of its own. As for instance, an entity of earth as lump exists in an entity of jar in the transformed state. It is a case of astitva (state of existence), or the state of darkness due to the state of absence or destruction of light is an example of astitva (state of existence) while mrdhästitvam (non-existence of earth) like tantvādirupa (threads, etc.) change into mțdhāstitvarūpa pața (cloth). It is a case of nástitva.8 These principles of astitva and nāstitva are corelated with each other with regard to eternality of the Universe and Non-Universe (Lokāloka) and of any one of them. In other words, Reality can be studied in its positive and negative aspects.5
It appears from the study of these facts that the views of the Bhatta Minnāmsakao and Jaina Philosophy? are in accord in regard to the problems of Sat and Asat that all entities have twofold characters positive and negative (i. e. existent and non-existent). An object exists positively in itself and is characterised by the absence of other objects in it and it is described as negatively by the absence of other objects in it.
1. “Atthittan atthitte parinamai natthittar natthitte periņamai”,
Bhagavati Sūtra (BhS.,) 1.3.32. 2. “Yatha mțddravyasya pindaprabarena sattā ghataprakārasattā
vām iti / dipādivināśasyāpi-tamisrõdirāpatayā pariņamāt”;
Ibid., 1.3.32 (Comm.) 3. "Yathá mýdo năstitvani tantvādirūpam mrd nästitvarūpe pațe
iti”, Bhs., 1.3.32. (Com). 4. Bhs., 1.6.53. 5. "Atthitti ya natthitti ya havadi avattavvamidi puno davvain,
Paravacanasāra, II, 23, Kundakunda. 6. "Svarūpapararüpābhyām nityam Sadasadātmako vastūni/”,
Ślokavārtika, Abhāvavāda, śl. 12, Kumarila Bhațța. 7. "Sadeva sarvam ko necchet svarūpādicatuştayāt / Asadeva visaryāsanna cenna vyavatișthate ll”,
Aptamimāmsä, Karikā, 15. Sämantabhadra.
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