Book Reviews

Summary

The book review section appraises two publications by the eminent scholar Nagin J. Shah and offers readers a window into ongoing scholarly debates in Jain and Indian philosophy. The first work, “Essays in Indian Philosophy,” is a collection of articles in which Shah ranges widely over topics from metaphysics and epistemology to logic and ethics. He reexamines the nature of time and space from a Jain perspective, proposing that the cyclical cosmic model and the idea of innumerable time‑atoms offer valuable insights for contemporary science. Essays on nirvāṇa and jñānadarśana analyse liberation as a state of infinite knowledge and bliss, while studies on Patañjala Yoga and Nyāya‑Vaiśeṣika schools reveal Shah’s ability to critique other traditions without polemic. Particularly noteworthy are his discussions of vyāpti (pervasion) and vyavahāra‑naya (pragmatic standpoint), where he argues that Jains should not inflate distinctions between inference and testimony and should accept that scriptural authority is subordinate to empirical knowledge. The reviewer notes Shah’s translation and critical edition of Jayantabhaṭṭa’s Nyāyamañjarī, acknowledging its importance for scholars worldwide. The second book under review, “Jainadarśana meṅ Śraddhā (Samyagdarśana), Matijñāna aur Kevalajñāna ki Vibhāvana,” consists of three lectures delivered in Gujarati and translated into Hindi. In these talks Shah delves into the concept of comprehensive vision (śraddhā), equating it with Buddhist sammādiṭṭhi, and emphasises that right vision requires guidance from enlightened teachers. He discusses the similarity between the Buddhist doctrine of kṣaṇikavāda (momentariness) and the Jain notion of pratīkṣaṇa‑pariṇāmavāda (moment‑to‑moment change), using this comparison to argue against simplistic labels of Jains as ātmanavādins or anātmanavādins. Shah analyses Sanskrit philology by distinguishing between vyañjana (‘word’) and artha (‘meaning’) and by examining Siddhasena’s Tattvārtha‑sūtra commentary on pramāṇalakṣaṇa. His treatment of inference (anumāna) divides it not only into the three traditional varieties—pūrvavat, śeṣavat and sāmānyato‑dṛṣṭa—but also into temporal categories relating to past, present and future, following Siddhasena Divākara and Akalaṅka. In discussing kevalajñāna (omniscience), he contrasts Jain and Buddhist theories, arguing that Jains view omniscience as dispassionate knowledge of the self and dharma rather than an all‑encompassing cosmic mind. The reviewer, Ramkrishna Bhattacharya, applauds Shah for going beyond well‑trodden topics like syādvāda and for presenting complex issues with clarity. He concludes that both books expand the horizon of Jain studies and will be invaluable to students and scholars who wish to explore the intersection of classical philosophy and contemporary reflection.