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CONCEPT OF MATTER IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
J. C. Sikdar
Introduction
Matter has been studied by every Indian Philosophy in its own manner. Bhūtal of the Cārvākas, Praksti? of the SāmkhyaYoga, Jadadravya3 of the Nyāya-Vaibesikat and the Mimāmsakas, Rūpas of the Buddhists, Māyā? of the śārkara-Vedānta, Acits of the Rāmānuja-Vedānta and Pudgala' of Jaina philosophy are only the diverse views on this problem.
The concept of matter can be traced back in bhūtavāda (Doctrine of elements of matter) which arose out of the Indian speculative thought on the objects of the senses. It is known that some thinkers, having kept the perceptible world in view, which came first of all in thought, accepted the nature of the world as endowed with five elements "pañcabhūtas', 10 or "pañcadhātus'11 or “pañcaskandhas' 12. On the basis of this postulation other thinkers began to make clarification of the nature of Acetanatattva or Ajivatattva (Non-sentient principle).
Kșiti ( earth ), āp (water). tejas (fire), vāyu (air) and ākāśa (ether) are called the five elements (of matter) (pañcabhūtas ). 13 They are also known as five aggregates (of matter) ( pañcaskanEarlier version of this article was presented in “Seminar on Jaina Logic and Philosophy." (Poona University, 1975)
