Syadvadamanjari is a commentary by Mallisena on Anyayoga-Vyavaccheda-Dvatrimiska of Hemacandra, the great Jaina scholar. This work discusses threadbare the multitudinous variety of problems man has to deal with vis-a-vis this world and the world beyond. It deals with the problem of permanence versus change or the eternal versus the transitory, and shows how the arguments and the counter arguments advanced by each of the two sides annihilate each other.

It expatiates on the sanctity of all life, the state of emancipated souls, the theory of Knowledge, the nature of reality etc. In short, it discusses ontological, metaphysical, epistemological and ethical issues which form the core of Jainism. It treats highly complicated issues of Philosophy in an erudite, lucid but scholarly manner.
It supports its thesis by sophisticated but eloquent and easy to grasp arguments.

It closely examines the doctrinal positions of the Carvakas, Buddhist, Samkhya, Mimamsaka, Nyaya, Vaisesika schools of Indian Philosophy. It lays bare the limitations of the theories propounded by these schools of thought and goes on to explicate the celebrated Jain doctrine of Naya (forms).

The principle that lays down systematically these Nayas (forms) is called Syadvada or Saptbhangi Naya. This principle demonstrates how one and the same thing may be viewed synthetically or analytically; as one or as many; as one substance or as many attributes or modes. An idea of the importance of this principle can be had from the fact that Mahatma Gandhi recognized the pragmatic utility of this principle in the affairs of day to day life. He acknowledged his indebtedness to this principle when he said that he, no less than his critics, had a valid position, on a particular issue as each took his stand from his particular point of view.

The present edition of Syadvadamanari was first published in 1933 with a long introduction and exhaustive notes by Professor A.B.Dhruva. This reprint is brought out with a foreword from Dr. Push Raj Jain, Dept. of Sanskrit, P.G. DAV College (E), University of Delhi.

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Contents

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Preface

1. Introduction
2. Sanskrit Text
3. Notes
4. Supplementary Notes
5. Appendices
6. Index- English and Sanskrit