Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
Dirghatama Rishi of Ṛgveda put forward the question for the prime-cause of the universe. The first stage of it is just the aptitude of question.[1] When he doesn't get any answer or solution for his question, then he says -'I don't know.'[2] Even then he doesn't give up his quest and says finally that one truth is explored with many dimensions by the scholars.'[3] Existent is one but intellectual scholars explain it with many dimensions. Pt. Dalsukh Malvaniya comparing Dirghtama's idea with non-absolutism states that 'in this statement of Dirghtama, we can see the speciality of human - nature, which we call as attitude of reconciliation. On a scriptural plane, this very attitude of reconciliation is known as Syādvāda or non-absolutism in Jain philosophy.[4]
In the same way, a sage in Nāsadīya Sūkta also found in search of the original cause of the universe. He states that 'there was neither existent nor non-existent at that time'.[5] He negates both the existent and the non-existent, but, it seems that his word-power fails to express the 'paramatattva' i.e. ultimate reality. When non-absolutistic nature of truth cannot be expressed in words, he then uses the language of negation. Lord Mahavira presents this fact in assertive language and accepts relative existence of both existent and non-existent.[6] According to Lord Mahavira's philosophy, a substance exists with its contradictory aspects. There is no substance which is only existent or only nonexistent because the nature of the substance itself is existent-cum-nonexistent. This fact becomes clear from the description of Sthānāṅga.[7]
