Jain Journal 1972 10

SR No.: 520028
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1972
Total Pages: 55
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 30

Reals In Jainism
K. B. JINDAL
One of the Sacred Books of the Jainas—the Dravya Sangrahadeals in its first part with six Dravyas. The very first verse mentions that Dravya consists of Jiva and Ajīva. From verse 15, the author (Nemicandra) proceeds to describe Ajiva as consisting of Pudgala, Dharma, Adharma, Akāśa and Kāla. The five classes of Ajīva with Jiva make up the six Dravyas, existing in this universe, Mr. Sarat Chandra Ghoshal translated Dravya Sangraha in English in 1917, giving exhaustive commentaries on each verse. He translated the word “Dravya" as "Substance".
What Mr. Ghoshal chose to describe as "Substances", Mr. Harisatya Bhattacharya has chosen to describe as “Reals”. He has deliberately used the expression “Real” to distinguish the cardinal principles of Jaina philosophy and metaphysics, from its superficial ethics and ritual. To put it in the words of Mr. Bhattacharya : "To many the Jainas appear to be a queer sort of people who are remarkable for their fastidious and ostentatious practice of non-violence...About 25 years ago, I came to be acquainted with the fact of the existence of a vast Jaina literature, covering almost all the branches of human knowledge. For the first time, then, I came to know that the Jainas had a theory of the universe, a philosophy of theirs. A little introduction into the study of the Jaina philosophy convinced me that it has a glorious place in the systems of Indian philosophy. Later and a bit deeper study, has confirmed my view.”
In the following pages, I shall proceed to deal with the six “Reals”. Motion and Rest, Space and Time, Matter and Soul. In so dealing with the “Reals”, I shall place the Jaina view point in juxta-position with the six known systems of Indian philosophy-Nyāya, Vaišeșika, Sārkhya, Yoga, Mimārsā and Vedānta--and also with Buddhism. I shall go a step further and draw comparisons between Indian and Western thought ancient, mediaeval and modern. My broad conclusions are :
(1) The conceptions of Dharma and Adharma, as non-psychical principles of motion and rest, are peculiar to Jaina philosophy.