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Properties of Matter
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(fundamental elements of Matter), viz. air, fire, water and earth, possess the four specific qualities, viz. touch, colour, taste and smell respectively as conceived in the Nyāya-Vai esika system of thought. The difference between the Sankhya-Yoga and Jaina views regarding these properties is this that they are the specific qualities in the four Bhūtas ( fundamental elements) respectively, according to the former, while in the latter's view all of them are inherent in every kind of matter whether it is earth or water or fire or air.
THE NYAYA-VAIŠEȘIKA VIEW OF THE
PROPERTIES OF MATTER The four general properties of Matter (Pudgala) of Jaina Philosophy, viz. colour, taste, smell and touch, are stated to be the four specific qualities of Matter of the Nyāya-Vaiścsika Metaphysics. According to its view, earth possesses colour, taste, smell and touch,2 besides number, dimension, conjunction, disjunction, priority, posteriority, weight, fluidity, velocity and elasticity. Smell is the specific quality of earth which differentiates it from other substances. In addition to them, it possesses motion (kriya)3 which generates velocity ( vega ), 4 weight ( gurutva )5 and fall (patana ),6 liquidity
1. Rūparasagandhasparśaḥ, vs., 1. 1.6;
Rūparasagandhasparsa..., PPBhā., p. 38. 2. Rūparasagandhasparśavati prthivi, VS., II, 1. 1. 3. Nodanābhighātāt samyuktasamyogācca přthivyām karma,
VS., V. 2. 1. 4. Yattu yugapat prakṣiptasarayorekasya tsvro vego aparasya
tu mandaḥ tatra, nodanativnatvamandatve nimittam,
VSU., 5. 1. 17. 5. Samskārābhāve gurutvāt patanam, VS., 5. 1. 18. 6. Ibid.
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