What are the types of Naya and Naya-bhasa?
Here are the main types (nayas) of Nayavada, the Jain doctrine of standpoints, and what they mean:
- Naigama-naya: The universal/common-sense view. It understands a thing by its name or general sense, not by all its parts.
- Samgraha-naya: The class/collective view. It looks at general properties and categories, treating things in a broad sense rather than specific details.
- Vyavahara-naya: The practical view. It considers things as they are useful or applicable in daily life, often using practical exceptions.
- Rijusutra-naya: The momentary/linear view. It focuses on the present moment or a straightforward, linear understanding.
- Sabda-naya: The verbal view. It relates to words and names, and how linguistic form points to meaning.
- Samabhirudha-naya: The etymological view. It understands meaning from the origin/name of a term and its linguistic root.
- Evambhuta-naya: The such-like/actuality view. It considers the concrete particulars and what actually exists in a given state.
Naya-bhasa (Nayābhāsa) is the one-sided form. When a naya presents a view while discarding or denying its opposite, that is called nayābhāsa. In proper practice, one should distinguish between a valid naya and a nayābhāsa to avoid absolutist or one-sided claims.
Note on tradition: Digambara and Śvetāmbara sources both discuss Nayavada and Syadvada in similar terms, though texts and terminology can vary by author. The core idea remains: reality is multi-faceted, and each naya gives a partial but valid angle from which to understand it.