Tattvarth Sutra Chapter 1 Sutra 32 and 33

Sūtra 1.32 : सदसतोः अविशेषात् यदृच्छोपलब्धेः उन्मतवत्
(sadasatoḥ aviśeṣāt yadṛcchopalabdheḥ unmatavat)

संधि विच्छेद –
सद+असतो:+अविशेषात्+यदृच्छोप+लब्धे:+उन्मतवत्

शब्दार्थ-सत्-सत्य/विध्यमान ,असतो:-असत्य/अविद्यमान ,अविशेषात्-अंतर या भेद नहीं होने से,यदृच्छोप-अपनी इच्छानुसार,लब्धे:-जानने के कारण,उन्मतवत् -पागल मनुष्य के उन्मत्तवता के कारण ज्ञान विपर्यय अर्थात मिथ्यादृष्टि का ज्ञान ,मिथ्या ज्ञान होता है !

Word-split & meaning

• sat – existent (real)
• asat – non-existent (unreal)
• aviśeṣāt – due to not distinguishing between them
• yadṛcchopalabdheḥ – knowing arbitrarily, according to one’s own fancy
• unmatavat – like a mad person

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अर्थ- सत् -विध्यमान वस्तु को सर्वथा विध्यमान रूप’ही’ जानना,असत्-अविध्यमान वस्तु को सर्वथा अविध्यमान रूप ‘ही’ जानना ,सत्-असत् के विशेष को जाने बिना ,एक समान रूप से ,अपनी इच्छानुसार उन्मत्त पागलो की भांति पदार्थों का ज्ञान मिथ्याज्ञान होता है !

Simple Translation

When a person fails to distinguish between the real and the unreal, and perceives objects arbitrarily, according to his own fancies, his knowledge becomes false (mithyā) — like the delusion of a madman.

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Explanation

• Samyag-dṛṣṭi (right believer) knows objects as they truly are through right mati, śruta, and avadhi jñāna.
• Mithyā-dṛṣṭi (wrong believer) also uses mati, śruta, and avadhi jñāna, but his cognition is unreliable — he confuses reality with unreality.

👉 Example:
A drunk man cannot distinguish between his mother, sister, and wife. He may even call one of them by the correct relation, but since he has no certainty or reliability, his knowledge is false.

Similarly, a mithyā-dṛṣṭi perceives a pot (ghaṭa) or cloth (paṭa), but under delusion he sometimes calls it one thing, sometimes another. He lacks awareness of the true nature of the object.

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Extension to the Idea of Liberation (Mokṣa)

• Other religions also speak of liberation:
  • Some say the soul becomes free immediately after leaving the body.
  • Some claim liberation comes simply by devotion to a deity.
• But Jainism uniquely declares:
  • The soul is liberated only through its own effort, by destroying the eight karmas.
  • The true path is taught by the Vītarāga omniscient Arihantas, preserved in the twelve Aṅgas and fourteen Pūrvas, later written down by Ācāryas.
• Other views of liberation are based on fanciful imagination (yadṛcchā) of deluded, passion-bound beings — hence mithyā.

Thus, the phrase “yadṛcchopalabdheḥ unmatavat” confirms:
Just as a madman perceives according to his whim, false believers imagine liberation or reality according to their deluded views.

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Examples of Wrong Doctrines (Mithyākalpanā)

1. Advaita Brahmavādins – believe only in one eternal, formless Brahman as the cause.
2. Sāṅkhya followers – believe only in eternal, formless Prakṛti.
3. Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas – believe atoms of earth, water, fire, air have separate inherent qualities (like taste, smell, touch, color).
4. Nāstikas (Materialists) – believe earth atoms have hardness, water atoms coolness, fire atoms heat, etc., and that these alone produce gross bodies.

In all such views, false believers either separate what is inseparable, or merge what is distinct.

• Some say the effect (e.g. pot, cloth, mountain) is completely different from its cause (atoms/Brahman).
• Others say the effect is not different at all (everything is Brahman).
  Both ways are mithyā because they fail to recognize the true distinction and relation of substance, qualities, and modes.

Sutra 1.33 – Seven Nayās : नैगमसंग्रहव्यवहारर्जुसूत्रशब्दसमभिरूढैवंभूतानयाः
(naigama-saṅgraha-vyavahāra-ṛjusūtra-śabda-samabhirūḍha-evambhūta-nayāḥ)

संधि विच्छेद –
नैगम+संग्रह+व्यवहार+ऋजूसूत्र+शब्द+समभिरूढ+एवंभूत+नयाः

अर्थ-नैगम,संग्रह,व्यवहार,ऋजूसूत्र,शब्द,समभिरूढ और एवंभूत, सात नय है !

Meaning

There are seven Nayās (partial viewpoints):

1. Naigama-naya
2. Saṅgraha-naya
3. Vyavahāra-naya
4. Ṛjusūtra-naya
5. Śabda-naya
6. Samabhirūḍha-naya
7. Evambhūta-naya

भावार्थ- नय-वस्तु के अनेक धर्मों में से किसी एक धर्म की मुख्यता कर,अन्य धर्मों का विरोध नहीं करते हुए,उन्हें केवल उस समय गौण करते हुए ,पदार्थों का जानना नय है !वक्ता के अभिप्राय या वस्तु के एकांश ग्राही(दृष्टि कोण-पॉइंट ऑफ़ व्यू ) ज्ञान को नय तथा वस्तु के सम्पूर्ण ज्ञान को प्रमाण कहते है !प्रमाण ,अनेक धर्मों को युगपत ग्रहण करने के कारण अनेकान्तरूप सकलादेशी है किन्तु नय,एक धर्म को ग्रहण करने के कारण एकांत रूप व विकलादेशी है! नैगम,संग्रह,व्यवहार,ऋजूसूत्र,शब्द,समभिरूढ और एवंभूत, सात नय है !

What is a Naya?

• A Naya is a partial standpoint of knowledge, grasping one aspect of reality while making others secondary (but not denying them).
• Pramāṇa (valid knowledge) sees an object in its totality (all aspects).
• Naya sees the object from one angle only, so it is anekānta (non-absolute) but useful.

In short: Pramāṇa = holistic knowledge, Naya = one-sided viewpoint.

Seven Nayās Explained

1. Naigama-naya (General / Purpose standpoint)

• Grasping incomplete / non-manifest stage of an object as if it were complete.
• Example: A person collecting rice, water, and wood says “I am cooking food.” Though cooking has not yet started, the intention (final purpose) is taken as present.
• Types: Past, Future, Present Naigama.
• Subtypes: Dravya, Paryāya, Dravya-Paryāya (9 in total).

2. Saṅgraha-naya (Generic / Collective standpoint)

• Viewpoint that emphasizes the common / general attribute of many things.
• Example: Saying “All existents are sat (existent)”, or calling all six dravyas as “dravya.”
• Focuses on sāmānya (generality).

3. Vyavahāra-naya (Practical / Specific standpoint)

• The opposite of Saṅgraha-naya; emphasizes the specific distinctions within a general category.
• Example: Dividing “dravya” into six types, “jīva” into liberated and bound, pudgala into atom and aggregate.
• Focuses on viśeṣa (particularity).

4. Ṛjusūtra-naya (Momentary / Straightforward standpoint)

• Considers only the present mode of a substance, ignoring past and future.
• Example: A pot is seen only as it exists now, not as clay of the past or shards of the future.
• Two subtypes: Gross (sthūla) and Subtle (sūkṣma).

5. Śabda-naya (Verbal standpoint)

• Deals with the use of words, grammar, linguistic expression.
• Accepts conventional speech even if grammatically inconsistent.
• Example: Saying “The Ācāryas are coming” — though “ācārya” is singular (one order), here “are” is plural; still accepted out of respect.

6. Samabhirūḍha-naya (Etymological / Conventional usage standpoint)

• Fixes one word to one strict meaning, ignoring synonyms or broader usage.
• Example: Indra, Śakra, Purandara — though referring to the same deity, each name is explained differently:
  • Indra – authority / command
  • Śakra – powerful
  • Purandara – destroyer of cities
• Thus, synonyms are treated as having separate specific meanings.

7. Evambhūta-naya (Actual state standpoint)

• Recognizes a word only when the action implied by it is actually being performed.
• Example:
  • A priest is called “pūjārī” only when he is worshipping, otherwise not.
  • A cow is “gāy” only when moving (gaman), not when sitting.
• Example with Indra: Only when exercising command is he “Indra,” when displaying power he is “Śakra,” when destroying cities he is “Purandara.”

Classifications of Nayās

1. By scope:
   • Vyavahāra-naya – external (Naigama, Saṅgraha, Vyavahāra, Ṛjusūtra)
   • Niścaya-naya – internal (Śabda, Samabhirūḍha, Evambhūta)
2. By focus:
   • Dravyārthika (substance-oriented) – Naigama, Saṅgraha, Vyavahāra
   • Paryāyārthika (mode-oriented) – Ṛjusūtra, Śabda, Samabhirūḍha, Evambhūta
3. By category:
   • Artha-naya (object-based) – Saṅgraha, Vyavahāra, Ṛjusūtra (sometimes Naigama too)
   • Śabda-naya (word-based) – Śabda, Samabhirūḍha, Evambhūta
   • Jñāna-naya (knowledge-based) – Naigama

No.	Name (Sanskrit / English)	Meaning / Standpoint	Example	Focus
1	Naigama-naya (General / Purpose)	Taking intention or incomplete stage as complete.	Saying “I am cooking” while only collecting rice and wood.	Purpose / Intention
2	Saṅgraha-naya (Collective / Generic)	Viewing objects by their common general attribute.	Saying “All six dravyas are just dravya.”	Generality (Sāmānya)
3	Vyavahāra-naya (Practical / Specific)	Emphasizing specific distinctions within a general group.	Dividing dravya into jīva and ajīva, pudgala into atom/aggregate.	Particularity (Viśeṣa)
4	Ṛjusūtra-naya (Momentary / Straightforward)	Considering only present mode, ignoring past/future.	Pot is seen only as pot now, not clay of past or shards of future.	Present Mode (Paryāya)
5	Śabda-naya (Verbal / Linguistic)	Accepting conventional word usage, even if not exact.	“Ācāryas are coming” (though technically singular).	Word / Usage
6	Samabhirūḍha-naya (Etymological / Strict Meaning)	One word = one fixed meaning; synonyms treated as separate.	Indra = authority, Śakra = power, Purandara = city-destroyer.	Strict Word Meaning
7	Evambhūta-naya (Actual-state)	Word valid only when action implied is being done.	Priest = “pūjārī” only while worshipping; cow = “gāy” only when moving.	Action / Actual State

Essence

• The seven Nayās are different viewpoints to describe reality.
• Each is true but partial.
• Together, they show the doctrine of Anekāntavāda (non-absolutism) — reality has infinite aspects; any single standpoint is limited, but taken together they enrich understanding.

English explanation of Tattvarth Sutra

Chapter 1 – Sutra 1 to 5 | Sutra 6 to 12 | Sutra 13 to 19 | Sutra 20 to 25 | Sutra 26 to 31 | Sutra 32 and 33