how many nayas are there? what are they?
In Jain philosophy, naya means a partial or particular standpoint used to understand reality.
Commonly, there are 7 nayas:
- Naigama naya — generic / purposive standpoint
- Sangraha naya — general or collective standpoint
- Vyavahara naya — practical or transactional standpoint
- Rjusutra naya — momentary or present-state standpoint
- Shabda naya — verbal standpoint
- Samabhirudha naya — etymological / special-word standpoint
- Evambhuta naya — exact-meaning standpoint
In some Jain texts, 7 are grouped as 3 main divisions:
- Nischaya-related / deeper view
- Vyavahara / practical view
- Shabda-based finer distinctions
Simple meaning:
A naya shows one angle of truth, not the whole truth. Jainism teaches that reality is complex, so it should be understood through multiple standpoints.If you want, I can also give the meaning of each naya in very simple language.