tman_and_moksa

SR No.: 020053
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: G N Joshi
Publisher: Gujarat University
Publication Year: 1965
Total Pages: 901
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 323

Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Nyāya Vais'eşika
291
Every soul has its own manas. It is called the internal organ (antarindriyam). It is atomic in size and it is a substance. It is also eternal but it is not pervasive for in that case one's emotions and thoughts will be experienced by all people as the mind will be a common possession of all. The mind is particular and specific for each individual person to experience pleasure, pain, volition, thoughts only for oneself privately. Annambhatta says —"Mind is the instrumental organ for the attainment of pleasure, etc. .. .. It is one for each individual soul, eternal and of the atomic size."1 Further it is stated in the commentary on it that, there are infinite number of souls, because each soul has one mind with it.? It cannot be all-pervasive like the soul, for in that case the manas cannot be conjoined to the soul by way of samavāya or coherence, and hence, an absurd condition of the rise of knowledge would arise, for two all-pervasive substances cannot be conjoined. Moreover, if they are conjoined then it will be an eternal combination, and then knowledge will be always present, so that there will be no possibility of deep or dreamless sleep as knowledge will be eternal. If the mind has some intermediate magnitude or size (Madhyama parimāņa) the mind or manas will face difficulty of being non-eternal (anitya) for the fear of being destroyed sometime. Hence, the only possible size will be atomic. The absence of knowledge in deep dreamless sleep can
1 Apnambhatta : Tarkasangraha, p. 13. Vais'eşikadars'anam (Sanskrta), p. 154.
एकस्मिन् शरीरे एकैकमेव मनः ।
For Private And Personal