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should not be adduced as a reason to establish Nihilism, for the nomenclature 'perceptible' or 'non-perceptible' does not hold good in the absence of sense-organs and object (1746).
Again, 'because it is not perceived' is an inconclusive reason. There are things which are not perceived and yet are existent, e. g. Vyakta's cognition of the nature of doubt, etc. If even this is non-existent, then what is the void, whose is it, by whom is it cognised? If Vyakta has not this doubt, then no one else has it and the discussion ends here since the existence of village, town, etc. is acceptable to all the others (1747).
Mahavira thus refutes all the arguments of Vyakta. By way of instruction he proceeds to say that one should never entertain a doubt regarding perceptible things like Earth, Water, Fire as one does not doubt one's own nature. Air too is perceptible as its quality touch can be felt, like a jar. Or one may say that Air and Ether are not perceptible, so one may doubt their existence. But it is possible to establish even their existence by inference. Touch, sound, health, shaking, etc. are qualities of Vayu (or arising from Vayu), so they must have a substratum, though it be imperceptible, and Vayu (Air) is this substratum. Therefore Vayu is existent. Similarly there must be a container, receptacle, support of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, because they are corporeal, as jar is the receptacle of water; the container of these is clearly* Ether. If it is said that no example can be adduced for this inference as the example would be a part of what is to be proved, then we could have inferences of this type: 'Earth must have a container, because it is corporeal, like Water; Water must have a container, as it is corporeal, like Fire, and so on (1748-50).
These five elements are thus vouched for by the means of cognition and should be recognised as existent. They are animate, possessed of sentiency or soul till they are injured or struck by weapons; they are the support of the body and are enjoyed by the soul in a number of ways. Earth, Water, Fire, Air are
*There is a pun on the word Vyakta (Vyakta, Suvyakta). Vyakta should have a clear knowledge of things and not doubt,
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