________________
334 : Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons
( xviii ) it could be classified in many ways as already detailed
(xix) Sound can be produced by conjunction and disjunction of material bodies. Satkhandāgama mentions a mixed process too for its production.
(xx) Sound has a two-fold nature. Substantively, it is eternal and modally it may be non-eternal and momentary.
The above canonical concepts suggest that sound is a form of energy rather than normal tangible matter. Its aggregates are eye-imperceptible and possess imperceptible colour, taste, smell and touch because of fineness and dormancy. Many later scholars have observed additional phenomena about sound and they have proved material nature on the following grounds :
1. Sound is material because": (i) It is received by material objects like the ear drum.
(ii) It is obstructed and repulsed by material objects like wall, dry leaves and opposing air.
(iii) It is overpowered by higher intensity sounds. (iv) It is interfered by many objects.
(v) It is the effect of material entities and moved by air in all directions like cotton.
(vi) It is produced by variety of actions and disturbances in material objects like those in heart, throat, tongue, teeth and palate etc. It produces changes in these organs like eating a medicine.
(vii) Vibrations are produced in material objects when sound is produced from them as when beating a drum, tuning a fork or ringing the bells.
( viii) High blowing conch sound has sometimes a deafening effect.
(ix ) Echo is produced when sound is struck by solid walls or objects.
(x) It has qualities of compression, rarefaction, weak
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org