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

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390 : Scientific Contents in Prakṛta Canons
decay). It has qualities and modes. It has eleven attributes of Akalanka and eight of Devasena (general). It also has eleven general natures (Svabhāvas) of Devasena which refer to the ways and forms the living one may have in general. These various classificatory attributive definitions are shown in Table 8. It is seen that Akalanka and Devasena have improved over Umāsvāti where two attributes have gone upto four commons and many more uncommons. However, one could mark the difference. While Akalanka does not have consciousness, weightlessness and space occupancy of Devasena, the latter also does not have many attributes of the earlier. It can be surmised that the earlier characteristics of existentiality has been given more concrete meanings by these authors. As is clear, the general definition involves particulate nature, space occupancy, weightlessness, sense-imperceptibility or nonmateriality as physical and consciousness as psychical characteristics of the living one. The first and last terms here seem to be quite contradictory. It is also evident that Akalanka's general definition seems to weigh more on the non-material side of the living in comparision to Devasena. If one removes the attribute of consciousness from Devasena's list, it will have purely material nature of the living.
In contrast, the specific attributes have very much in common with all the three authors each one has various forms or expressions of consciousness as liberally defined earlier. The canonical characteristics of the living in Table 2 can also be similarly classified on the basis of table 8 where they prove more extensive.
It must, however, be accepted that in contrast to Devasena, consciousness should be called as specific rather than general property. The rest of the properties are suggestive of material nature of the living. Its basic unit has all the qualities as the atom-like materials have. The single living unit is said to contain innumerable pradeśas with capacity for expansion and contraction. It has these pradeśas in an independant and