Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
234
In this presented sutra of the Tvarthasutra, the first sutra prohibits bonding. Accordingly, atoms with a negligible or rough part cannot bond with each other. This prohibition indicates that atoms with a medium and excellent quantity of smooth, rough components can bond with each other. However, there is an exception as mentioned in the previous sutra. According to that, similar components of the same nature cannot bond with each other. Therefore, similar components of smooth, smooth atoms and rough, rough atoms do not form bonds. This prohibition also implies that components with dissimilar qualities can bond. Condensing this implication, the third sutra determines the bonding applicability limit for dissimilar components. According to this, when one component has a greater degree of smoothness or roughness compared to another component by two, three, four parts, etc., these two components can bond. Consequently, if the smoothness or roughness of one component exceeds that of another by only one part, then these two components cannot bond.
In both the Svetambara and Digambara traditions, there is no textual variation in these three sutras, but there is a difference in meaning. Within this difference, three points should be observed: 1. The lowest quality atom.