Vijyanandsuri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth

Author(s): Navinchandra Vijaymuni, Ramanlal C Shah, Shripal Jain
Publisher: Vijayanand Suri Sahitya Prakashan Foundation Pavagadh

Page 877

The fifth, sixth and seventh propositions are (5) Syat pen exists and is inexpressible, (6) Syat pen exists and does not exist and is inexpressible, (7) Syat pen exists and does not exist and is inexpressible. All these propositions, according to the Jaina, represent a new aspect of the real. It may be noted here that the Jaina texts have not discussed these propositions clearly.
Now the question arises: What is the basis of regarding the number of propositions as seven, neither more nor less than this? The answer of the Jaina is that since affirmation and negation are constitutive of the real, there are only seven questions possible in regard to any real. These questions are consequent upon the seven kinds of inquisitiveness of mind to know a thing which in turn is dependent on the seven objective aspects of the real. In fact, the enquiry starts upon the initial doubt, for example, does a pen exist or not? Or is a thing permanent or changing? And the answer is seven distinct propositions or Bhangas. What I feel here is that the Jaina in propounding the seven propositions is making use of mathematical knowledge which necessarily leads to the seven Bhangas Out of these, the first four are empirically verifiable or understandable and the last three are mathematical possibilities confirmed by mathematics. So if one speaks of more than seven Bhangas, there will either be duplication or assertion of propositions neither confirmed by mathematics nor by experience. If one speaks of less number of propositions, there will either be omission or suppression of the aspect of the real given to us either mathematically or experientally.
It may now be argued that since Jaina philosophy is known as Anekantavada (non-extremism and non-absolutism) does the sevenfold predication apply to Anekantavada itself? The answer of the Jaina is in the affirmative. Syat Anekantavada, Syat ekantavada and so on will be the seven propositions (Saptabhangas). Knowledge which takes into account the nature of the real as consisting of an infinite plurality of attributes is called pramana and this is non-absolutism: knowledge which takes into account one attribute without negating the other attributes present in the real is called 'Naya' and this is ekantavada. In other words, the Anekanta cannot be sustained without admitting Ekanta as its opposite, just as a tree cannot be saved if the branches are taken out.
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Shri Vijyanand Suri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth