Gandharavada

Author(s): Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha

Page 80

samaya. The unit of samaya is the time required by an atom to traverse one pradeśa (unit of space) by a slow movement.
Unlike the Vedāntins who believe in an eternally unchanging (kūțastha) entity, and the Buddhists who recognise only a flux, and regard the opposite as unreal, the Jainas hold that every substance has three aspects — utpāda (origination), vyaya (destruction) and dhrauvya (permanence). New qualities are being produced in it, some old ones perish, and yet certain aspects remain permanently in it. Thus if a lump of gold is transformed into a necklace, it perishes as a lump of gold, is born as a necklace, but persists as gold. Paryayas (modes) change, but the dravya (basic substance) persists. Every substance again is existent in its own form, but non-existent in another (para-rūpa); exclusion or negation of other's form is an integral part of the nature of a thing. All this is in accordance with the Jaina doctrine of Anekantavāda (Doctrine of Non-Absolutism) and its presentation by the Saptabhangi (statement of seven alternatives) and the Theory of Nayas (stand-points) evolved by them to explain that there is some truth in all the systems of philosophy, but it is not the absolute or ultimate truth, which can be attained only by a full view of the different aspects of a thing. SOUL IN DIFFERENT DARŠANAS
As pointed out by Pt. Sukhlalji Sanghavi,* we can broadly classify the different conceptions of the soul as follows: (i) Bhūtacaitanyavāda, (ii) jiva or sentient principle as an independent entity, (iii) independent jīva which is also in a way dependent, being identical with or a part of the absolute principle. In the Gañadharavăda, the first Gañadhara Indrabbūti doubts the very existence of the soul and Mahāvīra convinces him that the soul does exist. The third Gañadhara Vayubhūti's question is about the nature of the soul. Can the soul not be regarded as identical with the body ?
Unfortunataly the works of the Bhūtacaitanyavādins have been lost and all our knowledge of them is derived from their * Bhāratiya Tattvavidyā, p. 50