An Introduction to Jaina Logicians and their Logic

Summary

Pushpa Bothra’s “An Introduction to Jaina Logicians and their Logic” provides a concise historical survey of Jain contributions to Indian logic. The essay begins with the early canonical thinkers Kundakunda and Umāsvāti, whose treatises such as the Pravacanasāra and Tattvārthasūtra introduced the basic classification of knowledge into direct (pratyakṣa) and indirect (parokṣa) modes. It then moves to Siddhasena and Samantabhadra of the 5th–6th centuries, who elaborated the doctrine of anekāntavāda (non‑absolutism) and the sevenfold predication, synthesised in texts like Siddhasena’s Sanmatitarka. The essay highlights the seminal role of the 8th‑century polymath Akalanka, whose Pramāṇa-saṃgraha systematised pramāṇa theory by distinguishing between perception, inference and authority, and by reconciling Jain epistemology with Buddhist and Nyāya schools. Later logicians such as Vidyānanda, Manikyanandi, Prabhācandra and Abhayadeva Sūri refined these theories, addressing issues such as the validity of conditional inference and the nature of fallacies. Bothra credits the 12th‑century scholar Hemacandra with integrating logic into grammar, poetry and ethics through works like the Pramāṇa‑Naya‑Tattvālankāra. The survey culminates with Yaśovijaya (17th century), who synthesised earlier developments in his Jñānasāra and engaged with Islamic philosophy. Throughout the essay, Bothra emphasises that Jain logic is inseparable from syādvāda (“the doctrine of conditioned predication”) and that its distinctive feature lies in acknowledging multiple perspectives while avoiding dogmatism. She notes that Jain logicians contributed to the broader Indian debate on universals and particulars and that their logical treatises were studied by Buddhists and Naiyāyikas. By providing a chronological map of these thinkers and their key texts, the article underscores the continuity of Jain philosophical inquiry and the community’s commitment to rational analysis.