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CHAPTER I
JAINA CONCEPTION OF MATTER
Introduction
A study of the Jaina Agamas reveals that Metaphysics is something which is correlated with physics, but the metaphysical inquiry goes beyond the scope of physics. According to the Jaina Agamas, the Universe (Loka) is a system of reals, all inter-related with one another with regard to dravya (substance), kṣetra (locus or field), kāla (time) and bhava (condition or state or mode), having a fundamental unity comparising the plurality of inter-dependent and inter-connected substances. As for example, there are stated to be four aspects of the Universe from the points of view of dravya, kṣetra, kāla and bhāva1 respectively, i. e. a system of reals is studied with regard to substance, locus or field, time and condition respectively.
The Universe is finite with regard to substance, as it is one in number; it is also finite with regard to locus or field, having the dimension of length and breadth of countless crores of yojanas; it is infinite, permanent, continuous, undecaying, constant, eternal and endless with that to time, for it is Traikālika (i. e. was, is and will be in the past, present and future respectively); there was not, is not and will not be such a time when the existence of the Universe was not, is not and will not be continuous respectively; it is also infinite with regard to condition because the modes of the substances of the Universe, such as, modes of colour, smell, taste and touch, figure, heaviness and lightness, and neither heaviness nor lightness, etc., of pudgala (matter) are infinite. So the Universe
1. Cauvvihe loe pannatte, taṁjaha davvao, khettao, kālao, bhāvao-Bhagavat¶ (Vyākhyāprajñapti) 2. 1. 90.
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2. Davvao nam ege loe sa-amte... bhāvao ṇaṁ loe aṇaṁtā vanṇapajjavā. . . natthi puna se amte.-Ibid.
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