Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001180
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 328
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 15 MB

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JAINA PHILOSOPHY : AN INTRODUCTION
forms of matter. The human nose is not sensitive enough to detect the smell of these forms. Several cases are known where our olfactory organ fails, for instance, an ant at once smells sugar or a cat smells milk, whereas we cannot perceive these smells so quickly and from such a distance.
In the light of this discussion, we can say that with regard to the conception of matter, the position of the Jainas is sound and scientific. The Jaina thinkers did not regard earth, water, fire and air as separate and independent entities but included all these forms in matter. They held that earth, water etc. are the various combinations and forms of matter. These various combinations should not be regarded as separate substances. Forms of Matter :
Matter has two chief forms : indivisible elementary particles and their combinations. In the technical terms of Jainism, the indivisible elementary particles are called anus and the combinations of these particles are known as skandhas. We translate aņu as atom and skandha as molecule for our present purpose. We will not mind some minute differences between the word atom of modern science and our technical term aņu. Skandha (molecule) is defined as an aggregate of atoms. It possesses a gross form and undergoes processes of association and dissociation. Anu:
The last particle of matter, which cannot be further divided by any means whatsoever, is called aņu or paramāņu.' In the Tattvārtha-rājavārtika, aņu is defined as the smallest material particle. There is nothing smaller than paramāņu? According to the Pañcāstikāya-sāra, the substance that has a single taste, a single colour, a single smell and two kinds of touch, which is the cause of sound while itself unsounding,
1. Sarvārtha-siddhi, V.25. 2. Tattvartha-rājavārtika, V. 11. 2.