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structure, colour, etc. Were there no identity of this sort, then all the transmigratory souls, like the liberated ones, would have no difference whatsoever among them; they would have only numerical difference; and all the classes of transmigratory souls would become an impossibility. Hence the relative identity of transmigratory soul with matter has been posited as a ruling principle underlying those different classes of living beings or transmigratory souls. When a soul becomes completely dissociated or free from karmas, it has no contact whatsoever with matter and as a consequence has no external differentiating characteristics like structure, colour, etc. Due to the rise of karmic matter just as there arise external differences like structure, colour etc. and thus come into existence various modes even so there arise internal differences pertaining to knowledge, etc. and thus come into existence various other modes of a transmigratory soul. In this manner the author has justified the view that a number of modes of a living being is ananta.
As we have seen, this Pada is devoted to the treatment of the classes and modes of jiva as well as ajiva. The classes are already described in Pada I. But the suggestion that each class possesses ananta modes is found in this Pada V. Thus it constitutes the salient feature of this Pada Pada I enumerated the classes, Pada III gave us mainly the relative numerical strength of those classes. So, there remained to be answered a question as to what the actual number of the višeşas or particulars (individuals) each class contained. The answer to this question is found in this Pada V. Not only that, this Pada has given also the numbers of modes that are possible in each class. The number of modes possible in each class is ananta. But the number of individuals contained in each class differs. Some classes contain asamkhyāta individuals whereas some ananta. The class of vegitation (vanaspati) and that of liberated souls contain ananta individuals. Each of the remaining classes contains asaṁkhyāta individuals. Again, this Pada does not take into account all the classes and sub-classes enumerated in Pada I, when it discusses the question of the number of individuals contained in a particular class as also the number of modes possible in the individuals of a particular class. It takes into account the main classes of transmigratory souls-the main classes which are known by the name of 24 Dandakas'-and the class of liberated souls. This will be clear from the Table given ahead. Therein items No. 1 to 24 are the classes of transmigratory souls. There 24 classes are called 24 dandakas. And item No. 25 is the class of liberated souls.
The discussion about the modes of each of the different classes
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