Dravya Sangraha

Author(s): Nemichandramuni
Publisher: Chandraprabha Digambar Jain Mandir Trust

Page 54

The Sacred Book of the Jains
Pudgala has Pradesas which are numerable, innumerable and infinite. To be more explicit, Pudgala or matter consists of ultimate indivisible particles which we might call atoms, remembering, however, that these atoms are more fine than the atoms as understood in the modern science. Now, two or more atoms of matter may combine and produce what is technically known as a Skandha A Skandha may contain two, four, six, a hundred, a million or more atoms. The Pradesas or spaces obstructed by atoms in the state of Skandha can, therefore be counted, and hence we might say in this respect that matter (Pudgala) has numerable Pradesas. From another point of view, if we do away with the combination which produce Skandhas and suppose the atoms to exist separately, contemplating a division, Pudgala should be understood to have innumerable atoms, for Pudgala, as mentioned before, exists throughout Lokakasa or the universe. Again, Pudgala may be said to have infinite Pradesas also from another point of veiw, viz. the atoms of matter in a subtle state may be considered to be infinite.
If a doubt be started that how can infinite atoms exist in finite Lokakasa, we reply that atoms in a subtle state, though infinite, can exist in one Pradesa of Akasa, though in the gross state this is not possible. Thus matter in subtle state may be said to possess infinite
Pradesas.
It has already been mentioned in the Commentary on Verse 24 that Kala has only one Pradesa, and this is the reason why we do not call it Kaya, for a Kaya is that which has more than one Pradesa.
एयपदेसोवि अणू णाणाखंधप्पदेसदो होदि । बहदेसो उबयारा तेण य कामो भरपंति सम्वाहु ॥२६॥ Eyapadesovi anu nanakhandha ppadesa do hodi. Bahudeso uvayara tena ya kayo bhananti savvarhu.-(26
Padapatha-099&hilla Eyapadesovi, though of one Pradesa. 40. Anu, atond. wurdy SAT Nanakhandhappadesado, on account of being Pradesa of many Shandhas. Adat Bahudeso, of many Pradesas. Ella Hodi, becomes. Tu Tena, therefore. Ya, and, Haug Savvanhu, the omniscient. 394R1 Uvayasa, ordinarily. Kayo, Kaya. cia Bhananti, say.
26. An atom (of Pudgala), though having one Pradesa, becomes of many Pradesąs, through being Pradesa in many Skandhas. For this reason, from the ordinary point of view, the omniscient ones call (it to be) Kaya.