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NandiSootra
COMMENTARY Arth means a thing or a substance and vyanjan means variations or properties (a specific state of drauya). Although here first arthavagrah is mentioned and then uyanjanavagrah but they occur in the reverse order. First comes vyanjanavagrah and then arthavagrah.
Vyanjan means that which is the means of expression, or that which is expressed. And this expression is perceived by the physical and mental sense organs. The physical sense organs are acquired by fruition of the angopang-namkarma (the karma that is responsible for the major and minor parts of the body) related to Audarik, Vaikriya and Aharak bodies. The mental sense organs are acquired by the kshayopasham of knowledge veiling and perception veiling karmas. Also these both are interdependent. Beings can acquire knowledge in proportion of the number of sense organs they have.
For example a one sensed being can receive (avagrah) knowledge only through touch, whereas a five sensed being can do so though all the five senses. This vyanjanavagrah comes immediately after darshanopayog indulgence in perception). This process is slow and natural and does not require any preceding practice. It occurs when the intensity of kshayopasham is low. Its duration is uncountable units of samaya. It has three divisions - (1) Upakaranendriya (physical sense organ), (2) The /union of the sense organ with its subject, and (3) The resultant information expressed as sound, word etc.
When vyanjanavagrah is complete then comes arthavagrah. When vyanjanavagrah receives the variations and attributes, then based on this information cis born a superficial but comparatively complete knowledge about that specific thing or subject. As compared to vyanjanavagrah, arthavagrah is faster, it requires practice, and there is a comparatively higher degree of kshayopasham.
Although knowledge cannot be acquired only with the help of vyanjanavagrah, but as at its conclusion comes arthavagrah, which is a form of knowledge, it certainly is a means of knowledge. That is why; causally it is accepted as knowledge. If there is a total absence of knowledge in vyanjanavagrah how on maturing could it turn into arthavagrah which is knowledge? Therefore it can be inferred that no matter how infinitesimal it is, there certainly is a fraction of knowledge existing in vyanjanavagrah. However, as it is infinitesimal it is not expressible.
FOUR CATEGORIES OF VYANJANAVAGRAH [113] MEANING - Question - Of how many types is this vyanjanavagrah?
Answer - Vyanjanavagrah is said to be of of four types - (1) Shrotrendriya vyanjanavagrah, (2) Ghranendriya vyanjanavagrah, (3) Jihvendriya vyanjanavagrah and (4) Sparshanendriya vyanjanavagrah.
COMMENTARY -The process of vyanjanavagrah has been explained here. As long as there is no intimate contact of tongue with the object of taste it cannot receive the experience of taste. Taste is received or experienced only when the ras (the particles that are responsible for imparting taste) are in direct and intimate contact with tongue. The same is true for the sense organs of touch and smell. The sense organ of hearing (Shrotrendriya) does not require such intimate and direct contact. It accomplishes the reception through simple or a mere fleeting touch. These four sense organs are called receptive sense organs. The conveyance of information to these sense organs by the thing or subject is through mutual contact.
As against this, mind and eyes receive information of their subject from a distance. The eyes cannot see any particles that are directly touching it but can see Aagam-44 - Nandi Sootra
~ 103 - Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
