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1.17
Generally, the subject of Avagraha, Iha, and Avaya
The subject of Avagraha, Iha, and Avaya is about the meaning. 17. Avagraha, Iha, Avaya, and Dhyana—these four kinds of Matijñāna (knowledge through the senses) grasp the meaning (object).
Meaning refers to the object. Dravya (substance) in a general sense and Paryāya (mode) in a specific sense are both referred to as objects. Therefore, the question arises: do the sensory and mental types of Avagraha, Iha, etc., concern the object as substance or the object as a mode?
Answer: The above-mentioned Avagraha, Iha, etc., primarily grasp the mode, not the whole substance. They know the substance only through the mode because the main subject of the senses and the mind is the mode. A mode is a part of the substance. Therefore, when the senses and mind know their respective subject-based modes through Avagraha, Iha, etc., they only partially know the substance through those modes; because without the substance, a mode cannot exist, and the substance is never devoid of a mode, like how the subject of the eye is the form, shape, etc., which are specific modes of Pudgala (matter). "The eye perceives the mango, etc." means it knows its form and specific shape. The form and shape are not different from the mango, so it is said in a gross sense that the eye has seen the mango, but it should be remembered that it has not grasped the entire mango because the mango has many modes, such as touch, taste, odor, etc., besides form and shape, which the eye is unable to perceive. Similarly, when the sense organs of touch, taste, and smell perceive hot jalebi, etc., they respectively know the warm touch, sweet taste, and fragrant mode of that object. No sense can grasp all modes of the object. The ear also perceives only the sound mode of linguistic matter, not other modes. The mind also considers only a specific aspect of a subject. It is incapable of thinking about all parts simultaneously. This establishes that the sensory and mental types of Avagraha, Iha, and the other three types of knowledge primarily concern the mode, and they know the substance only through the mode.
Question: What is the relationship between the previous Sutra and this Sutra?
Answer: This Sutra describes the general, and the previous Sutra describes the specific; namely, this Sutra pertains to the knowledge of Avagraha, etc., regarding the mode or the object as substance.