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332 : Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons
form. Yaśovijaya Gani'4 has given a three-fold variety of physical languagical sounds : (i) acceptable by self ( ii ) emissible by self or others and (iii) impact producible. Table 2 : Classification of sound by Pujyapāda.
Sound
(i) Languagical (by effort )
(ii) Non-languagical
(a) Scripted or By effort
Natural lettered : (a) Stretched membrane sound (b) Non-scripted : (b) Stringed instrumental sound Thunder, (Non-lettered) (c) Metallic & Reeds sound Lightning (d) Air column sounds
etc. Prajñāpanā is also has a two-fold classification in terms of developed and undeveloped speech with many subclassifications. Nature of Sounds
Bhagavati and Prajñāpanā are the most important canons to learn about the nature of sound in nutshell. Later scholars begining from Kundakunda, Pūjyapāda, Akalanka, Haribhadra, Vidyānandi and Prabhācandra have contributed to the logistics to support the canonical statements – specially regarding the material nature of sound and its relative eternalcum-non-eternal nature. The following points have been mentioned in canons in this regard :
(i) Sound is one of the modifications/effects of nonliving mattergic entity.
(ii) It is itself material and non-living.
(iii) It is a four touch (hot-cold, positive-negative) entity. Thus, it seems to be massless. However, it is in the form of aggregates of infinite mattergic entities 16.
(iv) It is fine-gross class of atomic aggregates which is non-perceptible to eye but perceptible by the ear-sense of hearing.
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