Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## Introduction
[75]
Here, it is important to understand that a Nigoda being does not have a single, singular body, but rather a body composed of countless Nigoda beings. There are countless Lokapramāṇa bodies forming a Pulvi, and countless Pulvis forming a Skandha. This single Skandha, containing countless Nigoda beings, is the most subtle Nigoda category, composed of the collective of Karma-Nokarma Pudgala Paramanus, along with the Audārika, Taijasa, and Kārmaṇa bodies and their Visrasa Upacaya. The most excellent Nigoda category is found in the body of a Mahāmacchha, which is a collective of six life-forms bound together. Between the most subtle and the most excellent Nigoda categories, there are countless spaces, each increasing by one Paramanu. This is the twenty-first category.
Above the most excellent Nigoda category, with an increase of one Paramanu, the fourth, most subtle Dhruvaśūnya category is attained. Again, with a gradual increase of one Paramanu, moving forward an infinite number of times greater than all beings, the most excellent Dhruvaśūnya category is attained. This is countless times greater than the most subtle. It also exists in the form of Śūnya. This is the twenty-second category.
Above the most excellent Dhruvaśūnya category, with an increase of one Paramanu, the most subtle Mahāskandhadravya category is attained. Again, with a gradual increase of one Paramanu, moving forward an infinite number of times greater than all beings, the most excellent Mahāskandha category is attained. This most excellent Mahāskandha category is the collective of all Skandhas, including the eight Earths, Tank, Kūta, Bhavana, Vimāna, Vimāneṇḍraka, Vimānaprastāra, Naraka, Narakeṇḍraka, Narakaprastāra, Guchchha, Gulma, Latā, and Tṛṇavanaspati. Although differences are visible between these Earths and others, they are all interconnected through subtle Skandhas. Therefore, all of them are collectively called Mahāskandhadravya category. This is the largest, twenty-third category.
Thus, these are all twenty-three categories. Out of these, the Āhāravargāṇa, Taijasavargāṇa, Bhāṣāvargāṇa, Manovargāṇa, and Kārmaṇavargāṇa, these five categories are taken in by the being. The rest are not, hence they are called Agrahya categories. This is the consideration of all internal categories.
The author has considered external categories through four Anuyoga doors: Śarīriśarīraprūpaṇā, Śarīraprūpaṇā, Śarīravisrasopacayaprūpaṇā, and Visrasopacayaprūpaṇā. A Śarīri is called a being. There are two types of bodies, based on their individual and general differences. The first, Śarīriśarīraprūpaṇā, elaborates on both of these. Śarīraprūpaṇā considers the five bodies, Audārika and others, along with their many sub-characteristics. Śarīravisrasopacayaprūpaṇā considers the indivisible segments of the Snigdha and Rūkṣha qualities, which are the causes of the Visrasa Upacaya of the five bodies.