An Analytical Study of Anekãndavãda in Jain Philosophy

Abstract

This paper has an attempt to analyze the view of manyness (Anekãndavãda) in Jain philosophy. This view is regarded as one aspect of Jain Metaphysics based on the belief that this world originated from many components, each component has internal relationship, thereby human’s knowledge is relative and limited. The determination of what is true is not possible, so the determining or making thing as truth is relative and limited as well. The describing of reality would be used simply the word, ‘perhaps.’ This view is sometimes called “Syadyada-theory,” which is on the one side of the reality on the view of manyness (Anekãndavãda). Thus, this view belongs to two important branches of philosophy, namely, Metaphysics and Epistemology.