Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001263
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 590
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 10 MB

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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY characteristics express themselves to twenty qualities. They are
(1) Sparsa (touch)-(i) šita (cold), (ii) uşņa (hot), (iii) rūkşa (rough), (iv) snigdha (oily or viscouse nature), (v) laghu (light), (vi) guru (heavy), (vii) mrdu (soft) and (viii) kathora (hard).
(2) Rasa (taste)-(i) amla (acid), (ii) madhura (sweet), (iii) kažu (sour) (iv) kaşāya (bitter), (v) tikta (astringent).
(3) Gandha (smell)–(i) Sugandha (fragrance), (ii) durgandha (foul smell).
(4) Varņa (colour)--(i) Krişna(black), (ii) nila (blue), (iii) rakta (red), (iv) pita (yellow) and (v) sveta (white).
We find the Samsthāna (formation), parimaņdala (globular), vrtta (circular), tryamșa (triangular) caturarśa (square) and āyata (rectangular) in Pudgala. Still these are not the real characteristics of the paramānu.1 These are the modes or form of paramāņu.
The twenty characteristics of Pudgala mentioned above, can be considered in respect of its measurement and intensity into three distinctions, as (1) sankhyāta (measureable), asankhyāta immeasurable) and (3) ananta (endless).
From the point of view of substance, paramāņu is partless and indivisible, but from the point of the view of modes, it is not so. Considered from the point of view of modes, the four characteristics of varņa, rasa, gandha and sparsa have their infinite modifications.3 We have already seen that paramānu has the four characteristics as mentioned with its sub-divisions like śīta, uşņa and snigdha, rūkşa etc. Considered from the point of view of modes, we find a paramāņu with infinite modes can become a paramāņu of one mode. And paramānu with one mode can express iiself into many modes. And paramāņu, according to the Jaina theory one paramāņu can transform itself from one attribute of varņa to rasa and to gandha to sparsa. The same is the case with the others.
The matter with one quality can remain in that stage approximately from one samaya to a sankhyāta kāla (innumerable points 1 Bhagavatī, 25, 3. 2 Sarvārthasiddhi 5, 23. 3 Sthānānga 4, 135-Cauvvihe poggalapariņāme pannate, tam jaha
vannapariņāme, gandhapariņāme, rasapariņāme, phāsapariņāme.