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Atomism :
131 That is to say, they represent dravya (substance) and guna, (quality) of the Nyāya-Vaiśesika. As pointed out, guņas of the Nyāya-Vaise sika are made to be paramāņu of the Buddhists, while guņas of the Jainas divide paramānus. In the NyāyaVaišeșika Philosophy paramānu is accepted as fine and indivisible, but it appears to be gross when compared with paramāņus of Jaina Metaphysics. This school of thought conceives paramāņu as finest and indivisible, i. e. sūkşma paramāņu is indivisible, but vyavahāra paramānui (which can be equated with atom of the physical sciences) is divisible. This is the basic difference between these two atomic theories. The Jaina conception of the nature of paramānu is by all means different from that of the nature of paramānu of Ārambhavāda (Doctrine of Intransitive causation) of the Vaišešika Philosophy. According to Jaina Metaphysics, there are stated to be infinite paramānus, but there does not exist any radical difference among them like pệthivi paramāņu (earth-atom , ap-paramāņu (water-atom), teja-paramāņu (fire-atom) and vāyu-paramāņu (air-atom) of the Vaišeşika.
A paramāņu of Jaina Philosophy can assume any form in accordance with the causal condition. A paramānu which has undergone change into the form of earth can undergo transformation, into the forms of water, fire, etc., on the alteration of the material. That is to say, there is no class distinction among paramāņus as conceived in Jaina metaphysics.3 A paramāņu is endowed with one colour, one taste, one smell and two touches and it is known by the mark in the form of its effect (Kāryalinga).4 If a paramāņu is endowed with one
1. Anuyogadvārasūtra, 133, p. 160; Jambudvípaprajñapti
(pūrvabhāga), sūtra 19, p. 92 (see their tikās); Lokaprakāśa, Vinayavijayají, part, 1, sarga 1, śloka 21,
28, p. 5. 2. Vaišeşikadarśana, adhyāya IV, āhnika 1, sūtra 3. 3. Tattvārthādhigama sūtra, prathama vibhāga, p. 324. 4. Ibid., ch. V, sūtra 25 (Bhāsya), p. 365.
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