Jainism and Karnataka Culture

SR No.: 011062
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S R Sharma
Publisher: Karnataka Historical Research Society Dharwar
Publication Year: 1940
Total Pages: 263
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

Page 237

APPÉNDICES
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C. NOTES Two technical terms that we have often used in the course of this work need elucidation; they are Syādvāda and Sallékhana. The former relates to Jaina doctrine and the latter to their practice. Both are in a sense peculiar to the Jainas. The Jainas call their religion
SYADVĀDA, This has often been described as the doctrine of Scepticism', 5 but it is more correct to call it the Science of the assertion of Alternative Possibilities'. 8 It neither affirms nor denies the existence of a thing, but only states that a thing is, or is not, or is what it is described to be only from one out of several points of view with which reality might be comprehended. In other words our perception of reality is only relative to our point of view, but the thing in itself' is so complex that we can at a time but express only one out of its several aspects. No better example of the clarity, subtlety, and profundity of the Jaina intellect could be given than this. Yet, it is highly technical and we can do no better than reproduce the following exposition of it which is perhaps the most lucid one could think of :
“The great contention of the Advaitins was that there is only one really existing entity, the Atman, the One only-without-a second (kamêvadvitiyam), and that this is permanent (nitya) all else being non-existent ( a-sat), a mere illusion. Hence it was called the atma-vāda, éka-vāda, and nitya-vāda. Their stock argument was that just as there are no such entities such as cup, jar, etc., these being only clay under various names and shapes- so all the phenomena of the universe are only various manifestations of the sole entity, ātman. The Buddhists on the other hand, said that man had no real knowledge of any such permanent entity; it was pure speculation, man's knowledge 6 Of. Holtzsch Jain Colossi in South India, Ep. Ind. VII. p. 113. 6 Cf. Flest, sans, and 0. O. Inscriptions, Ind. Ant. VII, p. 107.