Anekaanta Vaada - Part I

[Guest guest]

My dear fellow Jignaasus,

 

One Mr. Suresh wanted to know about Anekaanta Vaada of the Jaina system in

C-M-S list. I have taken this opportunity

to post a few emails there, detailing the Anekaanta Vaada itself and analysis

of those systems based on Madhwa Siddantha. Then I thought why not copy it to

VMS also. So here we go.

 

 

Anekanta-vaada of the Jaina System

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Anekanta-vaada is the exposition of fundamental concepts and principles i.e.,

Prameya-Nirupana, of the Jaina system according

to which all prameyas are anekanta or multi-form real things. Prameya

has many dharmas ( qualities or properties) and for this reason a prameya ( or

artha) may be called anekantha.

 

All prameyas have many qualities and relations which distinguish

them from other objects. The world is a system of inter-related

objects which have infinite qualities and infinite relations. This

naturally leads to the approach of Nayas which are the different

standpoints from which things are considered as having particular

qualities and relations.

 

Jnana which grasps only an aspect of a vastu that is vishaya of

abhipraaya of a pramaatr ( knower or inquirer) is called Naya.

 

A dravya ( dravya is that which is ashraya or substratum of prameyas and

gunas ) from the standpoint of dravaarthika-naya is eka (one)

and from the standpoint of paryayaarthika-naya it is aneka ( many).

To illustrate this point, Jewels are made of gold. From the stand

point of having gold, any jewel would serve the purpose of having gold.

This is dravyaarthika-naya. But from the standpoint of having

particular and different jewels, gold is many, - paryaayarthika-naya.

 

Pramaana and Naya are the different ways of knowing a real thing.

Pramaana is valid knowledge of anekanta - it is the comprehension

of object which has many qualities and relations ( anekanta-pratipatti). Naya

is valid-knowledge ( pramana) of one aspect, part, mode or quality of

anekanta-dharmika-vastu ( multiform-object). So, naya is part of pramana.

Naya grasps only an

aspect or part of anekanta which is grasped by pramana-jnana. Naya is

a standpoint that is taken by an inquirer with a specific purpose

(sankalpa) to understand a particular aspect of anekanta-vastu to the

exclusion of other aspects. Indifference to other aspects due to

abstraction relative to the standpoint is for the timebeing only, for,

this is the process of comprehending an anekanta-vastu.

 

So Naya is partial-knowledge relative to the standpoint; naya considers a

things in its relations, but not a thing in itself. Naya gives relative truth

and there is no question of absolute truth.

 

The Jaina system talks about different types of Nayas like

Naigama ( figurative standpoint), Samgraha ( general standpoint), vyavahaara

practical standpoint), paryayaarthika (modal standpoint),

rjusutra ( present actual condition standpoint), sadba ( descriptive

standpoint), samabhirudha ( specific meaning standpoint), evambhuta (name

restricted to activity standpoint).

 

Naigama, Samgraha, vyavahaara, and rjusutra are object-standpoint i.e,

these standpoints relate to the object considered. Sabda, Samabhirudha, and

Evambhuta are word-standpoint. These relate to the

word by which the object is expressed.

 

In the Jaina system, if we enquire into all ways of describing a

thing, we find that it can be done in seven ways. This is known as

Saptha-Bhangi Naya or Syaad-vaada. Description of the thing follows the

question or enquiry.

apekshaa means prashna-anusaara.

 

1. From one apekshaa, Ghata is

2. From one apekshaa, Ghata is not

3. From one apekshaa, Ghata is and is not

4. From one apekshaa, Ghata is indescribable

5. From one apekshaa, Ghata is and indescribable

6. From one apekshaa, Ghata is not and indescribable

7. From one apekshaa, Ghata is, is not and indescribable.

 

It follows that Sapta-bhangi means that one and the same object ( padartha) can

be described in seven ways according to the manner of

questioning without vidhi-nishedha-virodha with respect to the object.

Just as there are seven ways of Sandeha, so there are seven forms

of an object. For example, when we say, " Ghata is " does it exist

in a particular form or does it exist in all forms? The same sandeha

or vichaara applies to all members of saptha-bhangi.

 

All Nayas when taken together are supplementary to each other, and each is

valid in its own viewpoint.

All nayas together give the whole truth. Approach of Nayas is the analytical

method of grasping the

nature of anekanta-vastu; it shows that knowledge of a thing is

relative to a standpoint. This method is most useful in the analysis

of human behaviour in the context of infinite complexity and variation

of individual differences.

 

This in a nut-shell is the Anekanta vaada of the Jaina system.

 

In the next email we will analyse the Jaina system.

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