Within the Jain doctrine of Anekantavada, relativity is not a mere intellectual concession but a fundamental feature of both reality and knowledge. Reality is understood as many-sided, possessing innumerable aspects that cannot be exhausted by any single description. Statements such as “it is permanent” or “it is changing,” “it is one” or “it is many,” each capture only a partial truth when taken from a particular standpoint. Truth, therefore, is never simply absolute in its expression; it is always conditioned by the perspective, context, and purpose from which it is articulated.

From this standpoint, all knowledge is inherently contextual and limited. Human beings apprehend only certain facets of an object or event at a time, so every judgment is true only under specific conditions and from a definite viewpoint. This is why Jain thought emphasizes the need to qualify assertions—“in some respect,” “from this standpoint”—recognizing that apparently contradictory statements can both be valid when their underlying perspectives are properly specified. The doctrine thus presents a carefully qualified relativity: truth is objective in its basis, yet only accessible through partial, conditioned expressions.

Anekantavada also extends this relativity to the way properties and relations are understood across varying circumstances. What appears true in one temporal or spatial context may appear incomplete or even opposed in another, without negating the validity of either when each is properly contextualized. Objects and concepts can legitimately be described in seemingly opposing ways, because they possess multiple dimensions that reveal themselves differently according to the angle of vision. This multi-dimensionality does not collapse into nihilism or sheer subjectivism; rather, it suggests that multiple valid perspectives can coexist without genuine contradiction when their limits are acknowledged.

Such a vision of relativity carries significant implications for dialogue and spiritual practice. If every viewpoint is recognized as partial, then dogmatic insistence on a single, exclusive truth-claim becomes a form of error. Anekantavada encourages presenting one’s understanding as provisional and conditional, open to enrichment by other perspectives that disclose further aspects of the same reality. In this way, the doctrine undergirds an ethic of intellectual non-violence, fostering humility, respect, and a willingness to see even an opponent’s view as containing some measure of truth.