Concept of Matter in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001663
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J C Sikdar
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Physics
File Size: 23 MB

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The Concept of Matter in Jaina Philosophy
belonging naturally to earth. When compared with the five basic colours of Jaina Metaphysics, these seven colours of the former can be reduced to the five colours of the latter, for green, grey and variegated colours are not the original colours of Matter as demonstrated by the physical sciences.
Taste : Taste is of six kinds, viz. sweet, acidic, saltish, bitter, cour and pungent (or astringent ) belonging to earth”. Here the saltish taste is not the basic taste of Matter according to Jaina Metaphysics. But it is accepted by the science as one of the basic tastes. So there is a difference between the two systems in regard to the basic tastes, but the Jaina view is nearer to that of the physical sciences.
Smell : Like Jaina Philosophy the Nyāya-Vaišeșika mentions two kinds of smell, viz. good and bad (i. e. pleasant and unpleasant ). But according to this philosophy, they belong to earth only, while the Jaina system of thought maintains that they belong to all forms of Matter.
Touch : The Nyāya-Vaiseșika maintains that touch4 1. Suklā dya neka prakāram salilā tiparamāņuşu nityaṁ pārthi
vaparamāņusvagni---samyogavirodhisarvakāryadravyeşu kāraṇaguņapūrvakamāśrayavināśādeva vinaśyati, PPBhā., p. 44 ; see NK., p. 30. The word 'citra' is used for an independent colour ( Kiraņā
val of Udayana, p. 205 ). 2. Raso rasanāgrāhyaḥ prthivyudakavșttiḥ jIvanapustiba
lārogyanimittam rasanasahakārl madhurāmlalavanatiktakatukaṣāyabhedabhinnaḥ asyāpi nityānityatvanispattayo
rūpavat, PPBhā., Rasaprakaraṇam, p. 45. . 3. Gandho ghrāṇagrāhyaḥ přthivivșttiḥ ghrānasahakārı
surabhirasuraviśca asyāpi pūrvavadutpattyādayo vyākhyātaḥ, PPBhā., Gandhaprakaraṇam, p. 45. Sparśastvagindriyagrāhyaḥ kṣityudakajvalanapavanavșttiḥ Tvaksahakārt rūpānuvidhāyi sitoộnānuşņasıtabhedāt trividhaḥ asyāpi nityānityatvanispattayaḥ pūrvavat, PPBhā., Sparśaprakaranam, p. 45.