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Know that the **Panchaastikaya** (five-fold substance) is **ashब्द** (non-sound) and **(स्कंधांतरितं)** within the **skandha** (aggregate), yet **(द्रव्यं)** definitely a single substance.
**Commentary:** This is a statement about the presence of qualities and their variations in atomic substance.
All atoms have the qualities of taste, color, smell, and touch as inherent properties, and these qualities exist in them along with their respective variations in a sequential manner. It is as follows:
- Out of the five taste variations, one taste exists at a time along with one variation.
- Out of the five color variations, one color exists at a time along with one variation.
- Out of the two smell variations, one smell exists at a time along with one variation.
- Out of the four pairs of touch variations (cold-smooth, cold-rough, hot-smooth, and hot-rough), one pair of touch exists at a time.
Thus, this atom, which is said to have the presence of qualities, is the cause of sound due to its nature as the potential to transform into the form of the sound aggregate. It is **ashब्द** (non-sound) due to its single-location nature and the absence of the activity of transforming into the sound variation. It is within the **skandha** (aggregate) due to its binding nature caused by its smooth-roughness, and yet it is a single substance due to its attainment of individuality (i.e., being counted separately like a complete one) while leaving behind its nature.