Concept of Paryaya in Jain Philosophy

Author(s): S R Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 72

Paryaya : A Doctrine of Parinama Rajjan Kumar In Jain metaphysics paryaya is considered as a very important concept. It defines the condition or state or mode of a substance. It is also regarded as peculiarity or particularity of state in which a substance exists. Generally paryaya means parinama. Paryaya is an integral part of Reality (Sat). In Prakrit language paryaya is written as "pajjava". Dravya and Paryaya In Jainism dravya is accepted in the sense of fundamental entities or reals or reality. Reality has been conceived as all inclusive substance (dravya) possessive infinite qualities (guna) and modes (paryaya). That which contains, and is the basis of qualities and modifications, is called dravya (substance). Dravyas are six in numbers2 - Jiva (soul), Pudgala (matter), Dharma (medium of motion), Adharma (medium of rest), Kala (time) and Akasa (space). Dravya is that which keeping intact its essential nature gets changed into various beings and situations, moulds itself in various modifications. A thing is not absolutely permanent, nor is it absolutely momentary, nor is it set in eternity, but it is only a changing continuing being (parinami nitya). Dravya or reality neither gets produced nor does it meet with destruction. Productions and destructions are themselves the modification as seen in the universe at different levels. Whenever there is modification there is dravya or Reality and whenever there is a dravya there is a modification. Dravya or Reality, thus, at one and the same time is having production (utpada), destruction (vyaya) and continuous existence (dhrauvya).3