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36 : Applied Philosophy of Jainism period. The two forms of predications - affirmation and negation, are accepted by all. These two depend on existence or non-existence. By negating both the existence and non-existence, we have a third way of expression Avyaktavyatā, i.e., inexpressibility. By accepting the both a fourth way of expression was emerged, comprising both affirmation and negation. These four ways of expression are well accepted in Upanişads and Buddhism.' So far as Jainism is concerned it is in the Bhagavatīsūtra where for the first time these different ways of expressions (bhangas) are found. In Bhagavati-sūtra,'' while dealing with the concept of Hell, Heaven and abode of Siddhas, Lord Mahāvīra mentioned only three ways of expression, i.e., affirmation, negation and in-expressibility but while dealing with the aggregates of the different numbers of atom, he mentioned more than twenty-three ways of expressions."' Pt. Dalsukh Malvania2° is right when he says that of course we have seven predications or Saptabhangi in Bhagavati-sūtra, but in his humble opinion these different ways of expressions (bhangas) do not represent the doctrine of seven-fold predications rather it is only a prior state. Here, these ways of expressions are framed on the number of atoms in aggregates. Secondly, this discussion may be a later interpolation because in Tattvārtha-sūtra and its auto-commentary, this concept of sevenfold predication is absent. Thirdly, it is also clear that neither in Bhagavati-sūtra nor in the Tattvārtha-sūtra and it's autocommentary, the theory of seven-fold predication is systematically presented in its logical form, with number of predications as seven and only seven. For the first time in Siddhasena Divākara's Sanmatitarka,21 this theory of seven-fold predication is logically presented. After that in Aptamimāṁsātof Samantabhadra (c. 51 A. D.), Sarvārthasiddhi of Pūjyapāda (c. 66A. D.), Pañcāstikāya?' (14) and Pravacanasāra?4 of Kundakunda (c. 6 A. D.) and some other later works of this period, this doctrine of seven-fold conditional predication has been discussed in detail. In general, there are only three types of our linguistic expression - affirmation, negation and inexpressibility. On the basis of these three fundamental ways of linguistic expressions and their combinations mathematically only seven predications are possible neither more nor less. In order to
