Exposition Of Naya In Jaina Philosophy - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text, "Exposition of Naya in Jaina Philosophy" by Ajit Shuk Deo Sharma, focusing on the core concepts and their relationships:

The paper by Dr. Ajit Shuk Deo Sharma delves into the crucial concept of naya (standpoint) within Jain philosophy, highlighting its analytical role in understanding reality and its intricate relationship with other key Jain doctrines like syadvada (a system of dialectical predication), pramana (means of knowledge), and niksepa (classification/exposition). The author emphasizes that Jain logic is a significant contribution to Indian philosophy, characterized by its non-absolutism, dialectical predications, and the method of standpoints.

Core Relationships:

Naya and Syadvada: These are presented as the two main pillars of Jain non-absolutism (anekantavada).
- Nayas are described as the "individual jewels" of knowledge, while syadvada is the "thread" that strings them together into a "necklace."
- Nayavada is the analytical method of knowing, focusing on specific aspects of a thing, while syadvada is the synthetic method that presents these diverse standpoints coherently.
- Syadvada is considered a logical development or corollary of nayavada.
- While nayavada is primarily conceptual and analytical, syadvada is both conceptual and verbal, encompassing the synthesis of various standpoints.
Naya and Pramana:
- Pramana is the source or origin of knowledge, considered superior to naya.
- Nayas are divisions or specific applications of pramana.
- Pramana offers a comprehensive or complete judgment (sakaladesa), encompassing all attributes of an object.
- Naya offers an incomplete or partial judgment (vikaladesa), focusing on a particular attribute or aspect.
- The need for naya arises because a complete description of an object's infinite characteristics is impossible from a single viewpoint. Naya allows us to express knowledge of one aspect while acknowledging the existence of others.
- A naya shares the validity of pramana to the extent that the partial view is identical with the whole. However, when the partial truth is mistaken for the whole truth, it becomes a kunaya or durnaya (wrong standpoint).
Naya and Niksepa:
- Niksepa is a technique for exposition and interpretation of reality.
- Naya is the point of view from which a statement is made about a thing.
- Niksepa, on the other hand, refers to an aspect of the thing itself that justifies the point of view. If we consider the statement, its viewpoint is naya; if we consider the fact that validates the viewpoint, it is niksepa.

Definition and Kinds of Nayas:

The Jain doctrine of naya is compared to the Greek doctrine of tropes, modes, and conditions, all of which acknowledge that multiple judgments can be true about the same object from different perspectives.
A real object has infinite aspects. While an omniscient being can comprehend all of them, limited beings use nayas to understand specific aspects.
The validity of a partial truth conveyed by a naya is analogized to a part of the sea being valid because it is part of the whole sea.
There are differing opinions on the number of nayas, but a common classification identifies seven main nayas, often derived from two primary categories:
1. Dravyarthika Naya (Substance-oriented): Deals with generality, identity, and the essence of things. It looks at things from the standpoint of their underlying substance.
2. Paryayarthika Naya (Mode-oriented): Deals with particularity, difference, and the specific modes or modifications of things. It focuses on the transient aspects.

The Seven Nayas (Subdivisions of Dravyarthika and Paryayarthika):

The text then elaborates on the seven nayas, categorizing them under the two main types:

Dravyarthika Naya (General/Substance-oriented):

Naigama:
- Focuses on the purpose or intention, even if not yet accomplished. It considers the entire course of action directed towards a goal.
- Can be further divided into:
  - Vartamana Naigama: Past events transferred to the present based on correspondence.
  - Bhuta Naigama: Future events or potential realized in the present.
  - Bhavisya Naigama (Bhava): The future state or ultimate goal.
- Fallacy: Mistaking the unaccomplished purpose for the accomplished action.
Samgraha:
- Comprehends several different modes or particulars under one common head based on their class character or generality. It deals with the universal property.
- Can be Parasangraha (ultimate class-view, seeing all as one in ultimate reality) or Aparasangraha (inferior class-view, differentiating classes within the ultimate reality).
- Fallacy: Considering only the general property as constituting the thing, ignoring particularities.
Vyavahara:
- Represents the popular, conventional, and practical point of view, based on sense perception of the concrete present.
- It considers a subject matter as possessing specific properties, unlike samgraha. It classifies in the mode of particularity within a genus.
- Fallacy: Wrong selection of species or ignoring the generic correlative of a specific feature.

Paryayarthika Naya (Particular/Mode-oriented):

Rjusutra:
- Focuses on immediate utility and the present aspect of a thing, denying continuity and identity. It is purely momentary.
- It's narrower than vyavahara as it strictly adheres to the mathematical present moment, rejecting duration.
- Fallacy: The permanence of things is altogether denied; each object is taken as momentary without any general features.
Sabda:
- Deals with synonymous words, treating them as equivalents that convey the same meaning despite differences in tense, case, gender, etc.
- Fallacy: Ignoring distinguishing features and treating synonyms as having absolutely identical meanings.
Samabhirudha:
- Differentiates terms based on their roots (etymology), implying that differences in roots lead to corresponding differences in terms and meanings. It's a specialized application of sabda-naya.
- Fallacy: Treating synonymous words as having absolutely different meanings solely based on etymological grounds.
Evambhuta:
- Recognizes an object only in respect of its own natural function as suggested by the derivative meaning of the word. It calls for a different designation for each different attitude an object assumes under different conditions.
- The radical sense or a specific aspect contemplated by the root of a term is considered the legitimate meaning.
- Fallacy: Making the existence of a thing absolutely dependent on the performance of a special function for which it is named, thus creating distinct entities from different functional states of the same thing.

Key Takeaways:

The Jain philosophical system, through nayavada and syadvada, aims to avoid absolutism and one-sidedness.
Each naya offers a partial truth. When taken independently or in isolation, they can be misleading.
The "right view" emerges when all nayas are arranged properly and supplement each other, leading to the cumulative character of truth (anekantavada).
The paper concludes by stating that Jain philosophy, by rejecting absolute and one-sided claims, offers a theory of relativity that harmonizes all standpoints, thereby saving philosophy from the "chaos of conflicting opinions." The ultimate goal is to understand reality in its entirety by acknowledging the validity of multiple, relative perspectives.