Jain Philosophy: Syadvada

 Jain Philosophy

2.Syadvada or Saptabhangi Naya

This argumentation system has seven distinct semantic predicates which may be thought of as seven different truth values. This system of argumentation is referred to as Syadvada or Saptabhangi Naya. Syadvada views things from many angles and reveals their true nature by embracing their different aspects and attributes. Syad in the word “Syadvada” means “may be”. The real sense of the word Syadvada can therefore be objective realism – viewing things under their diverse aspects by a multiple or many-sided vision. Every object or Dravya is subject to the triple operation of birth, life and death. These triple operations go on at all times in an uninterrupted simultaneity in every object. The part of a thing which is stable or persistent is its very substance, and the part which is mobile or changing is its modification. Substance and its modifications are neither completely different nor completely identical, which implies that every object possesses many attributes. Syadvada is that method of dialectic which reveals all the aspects of a thing by admitting all these contrary aspects and attributes of objects from different points of view.

Let us take an example. A man may be known as father, son, uncle, nephew etc. In relation to his son, he is a father, but in relation to his own father, he is a son; in relation to his nephew, he is an uncle, but in relation to his own uncle, he is a nephew. He is immortal in relation to his soul but mortal in relation to his body. An earthen pot is permanent and transitory. The object called pot is transitory, but the elements from which it is made is eternal. A gold necklace is transitory but the metallic substance gold is permanent.

An absolute or exclusive predication of a particular quality or aspect of a thing cannot bring out the truth of its composite nature. If a blind man, touching only the leg of an element, tries to prove that the elephant has the form of a pillar, he cannot be right. Therefore, it can be safely asserted that the real nature of a thing can be revealed only by Anekantavada or a many sided and comprehensive predication, and not by Ekantavada or an exclusive and unilateral predication.

The septuple formulation of Syadvada or the seven modes of assertion is known as Saptabhangi. Each form is headed by the word “syad”. If an attribute of an object has to be predicated, it must be done in such a way as not to nullify the possibility of affirming a contrary attribute. If the imperishability of an object which is resistant to decay, is to be predicated, it must be formulated in such a way that it does not limit the possibility of predicating the contrary attribute of perishability or transcience i.e., lasting only for a short time. It is for this reason that the word “syad” (maybe) has to be used in the predication of every object. For example, “may be the pot is imperishable”, - this undogmatic predicationleaves room for a contrary predication of the perishability of the pot.

The Saptabhangi or septuple formulation is described as follows:-

(11)    Syad asti (maybe it is i.e., affirm existence of a thing)

(22)   Syad nasti (maybe it is not i.e., deny it)

(33)   Syad asti nasti (maybe it is and is not i.e., affirm both existence and non-existence)

(44)   Syad avaktavya (maybe it is unpredictable or the thing cannot be so spoken of)

(55)    Syad asti avaktavya (maybe it is and is unpredictable or the affirmation of existence is not possible)

(66)    Syad nasti avaktavya (maybe it is not and is unpredictable or non-existence)

(77)   Syad asti nasti avaktavya (maybe it is, is not and is unpredictable).

As an illustration of its use, let us suppose that an agnostic person denies the existence of soul in all ways. To him the Jain Syadvada would answer that as soul is a substance, it exists. Soul exists in itself and its modifications, but it does not exist in other substances such as matter (pudgala), and also other substances do not exist in soul. So, from this point of view, soul does not exist. But soul sometimes exists and also does not exist at different times. But the soul cannot be spoken of, if we think of affirming its existence, and non-existence at the time and from the same point of view. Similarly, under certain conditions, viz., when the state of existence (i.e., Astitva) itself cannot be spoken of, i.e., exists and does not exist cannot be spoken of at the same time, we are unable to affirm that existence is possible, that non-existence is possible, and that both existence and non-existence are possible. Thus, Syadvada teaches the fundamental theory that everything in this universe is related to every other thing.

 

Referemce :

Lord Mahavira: His Life and Doctrine written by Puran Chand Samsookha

The Religious Quest of India written by Mrs. Sinclair Stevenson, published by Oxford University Press, 1915.