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XLIX
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Dravya
The Jain Siddhānta tries to solve the 'riddle of the Universe' in its own way. It lays down six heads under which all the objects in the Universe can be included. In the first place, it is plain even to the most unphilosophical mind that objects are of two classes; those that are endowed with consciousness and those that are not endowed with con sciousness (Chetana and Achetana or Jada). These are the first two classes and the interplay of these two is the chief cause of the manifestation of this world. Then these objects live and move in space and in time whose existence thereforó must be presupposed and which consequently constitute two more classes. Lastly, we see that nothing in this world is absolutely at rest or in motion and it is not possible to assume that rest or motion is the inherente quality of any of the above-mentioned object, otherwise we would have witnessed the phenomenon of perpetual motion or perpetual rest. Therefore we are driven to the conclusion that there must be two other objects, one imparting motion and the other counteracting and stopping it. These are called respectively Dharma and Adharma. These words have a technical meaning assigned to them in the Jain scriptures. One is the medium of motion, and the other, that of rest. This is the primary and fundamental classification of objects according to Jainism. Of these Jiva and Ajiva are the most important as their interaction gives rise to the world and the other objects are helpful to them so far as the evolution of the world is concerned.
As to the conscious objects, (Jiva) even the western scientists have now come to see the inadequacy of materialism, and they are compelled to admit tho existence of two distinct eategories in the world-Force and Matter,—which might cor. respond to the Jain view. Matter cannot account for Jiva; the former is unconscious and the latter conscious. As to the nature of Jiya, it is constitutionally free and potentially
