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Jaina Conception of Matter
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also changing in nature from the modal point of view, as they are conceived from the aspects of their infinite guņas (qualities) and paryāyas (modes). There are infinite living and non-living substances possessing infinite gunas and infinite paryāyas. 1
In the midst of the series of eternal and infinite changes taking place in the aforesaid six substances they persist as Pariņāmsnitya Dravyas (permanent-in-change substances). Concept of Matter (Pudgala):
Matter has been studied by every system of Indian philosophy in its own manner. Bhūta of the Cārvākas, 2 Prakrti3 of the Sāṁkhya-Yoga, Jadadravyat of the Nyāya-Vaisesikaj and the Mimāṁsakas, 6 Rūpa? of the Buddhists, Māyās of the Sārkara-Vedānta, Acit9 of the Rāmānuja-Vedānta and Pudgala10 of Jaina philosophy are only diverse views on this problem
The concept of Matter can be traced back to Bhūtavādali (doctrine of elements of Matter) which arose out of the Indian speculative thought on the objects of the sense in the Upanisadic period. As pointed out, on the basis of the postulation of the nature of the world as endowed with five elements (pañcabhūtas! 2 or pañcadhātus 13 or pañcaskandhas)14 some thinkers
1. Bhs, 25. 2. 720. 2. Tattvopaplavasiṁha, p. 1. 3. Sāṁkhyakārikā, vv. 8, 10, 11. 4. Vaiśesika Sūtra, 1. 1. 5. 5. Prasastapādabhāsya, p. 16; Nyayakandali, p. 16. 6. Prabhākara Mimāṁsā, pp. 35 ff. 7. Abhidharmakośa, 1. 24. 8. Kacinmāyeti sūcitas māyāṁ tu prakștim vidyānmāyinantu maheśvaramiti mantravarnāt – Sankarabhāsya on
Brahmasūtra, 1. 43. 9. Sribhāsya, 1. 43.
10. Bhagavati Sūtra, 2. 10. 118. 11. Svetāśvatara Upanisad, 1. 2. 12. Ibid. 13. Dighanikāya, Samaññaphalasutta, the view of Ajitakeśa
kamball. 14. Sūtrakstāmga, 1. 1. 17-18
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