Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

SR No.: 001670
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 608
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Science, & Religion
File Size: 9 MB

Page 169

Reality and Matter : Definition, Properties and Classification : 147
Per chance, there might be some copying mistake here as Shastrio has suggested in one more case. However, he seems to have livingness or otherwise as specific property. This variation indicates that despite Malvania! accruing fifth century to Mallavādi, his opinion could not become prevalent during Pūjyapāda ( mentioning only the first three followed by the word etc., fifth century )" or Akalanka ( 8th century ) age. His period, therefore, requires reconsideration.
Table 3 indicates that all the realities have all the eight attributes with two alternatives — they will either be (i) living or non-living and (ii) with or without sense perceptibility. These are the co-existing qualities without which nothing could be called a reality. Akalanka's attributes mainly refer to the living reality. Special Attributes
Devasena has also stated sixteen special attributes of realities. Out of which, six are attributed to material realities (touch, taste, colour, smell, form and non-livingness ) as accepted by Umāsvāti12 and six are attributed to living realities ( Knowledge of eight types, sight of four types, energy of two types, happiness of two types, livingness and formlessness or sense imperceptibility ). These are also co-existing properties. Auxiallary casuality in motion, rest, change and accommodation are the other four specific properties attributed to non-material and non-living realities.
In contrast, Umāsvāti13 has five specific properties of living realities in terms of volitional activities due to subsidence, destruction, subsidence-cum-destruction of karmas, rise of karmas and inherent nature like livingness. The first four of these are causes of the first four of Devasena. These together with livingness may be taken as equivalent to his five specific ones. Akalanka does not mention formlessness as a specific property of the living reality.
The non-material and non-living realities have formlessness and non-livingness as two common specific properties.