Historical Development Of Jaina Philosophy And Religion

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Jaina_Literature_and_Philosophy_a_Critical_Approach_001936_HR.pdf

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Aspects of Jainology: Volume VI
ajiva (non-living) and murta-amūrta. In the first classification - dharma, adharma, ākāśa, jiva and pudgala - these five are regarded as astikaya and 'Time' as anastikāya ( unextended substance ). In the second classification dharma, adharma, ākāśa, pudgala and kāla are regarded as Ajiva (Non-living beings) and the Jiva is considered as living being. In the last classification jiva, dharma, adharma, ākāśa and kāla are regarded as amurta (abstract) and pudgala (matter) as marta (concrete). We have already stated that the development of the concept of substance in the Jaina philosophy is almost influenced by the Nyaya-Vaiseṣika philosophy. Jainācāryas have synthesised the Vaiseșika idea of substance with their own concept of pañcastikāya. As such while in Vaiseṣika there are nine substances, the Jainas, by adding time to pañcāstikāya have made them six in all. Jiva, ākāśa and kāla remained common in both. Prthvi, ap, tejas and marut - the four, out of the five mahābhūtas which are regarded as substances in the Vaśeşika are not recognised by the Jainas as independent substances. They are only considered as varieties of jiva-dravya. The Jainas have also not accepted
'dik' and 'mana' as independent substances, instead they have included three others - dharma, adharma and pudgala in their scheme of substances. It may also be noted that while the other traditions have treated pṛthvi, ap, vayu and agni as jada (nonliving), the Jainas regard them as living. Thus, the Jaina concept of six substances (saddravya ) seems to be quite original. We can only find its partial similarity with other traditions. The main reason behind this is that the Jainas have developed their idea of six substances (saḍdravya ) on the line of their own theory of pañcästikäya.
Şadjivanikāya
Along with pañcāstikāya, we also find the concept of sadjivanikaya (six-fold living beings) in Jaina canons. This concept has developed from
jivāstikāya, one of the kāyas in pañcāstikāya. The six kinds of jivāstikāya are — earth (pṛthvikaya), water (apkaya), air (vayukaya ), fire (tejas-kaya). vegitation (vanaspatikāya) and mobile beings (trasakāya ). The use of the word kaya (body) for earth etc. is found since remote past. In Palitripitaka Ajitakeśa-kambali, calls pṛthvi, ap, tejas and vāyu the four bhutas as kaya but Pakudhakaccayana adds three more to the list, i.e., happiness (sukha ), sufferings (duḥkha) and the living being (jiva) and make them seven in number. The Jainas position is a little different. First they regard the five-jiva, dharma, adharma, ākāśa and pudgala as kaya (astikāya) and then include pṛthvi, ap, tejas, vāyu, vanaspati and trasa, six in all, underjīvanikāya. Thus, there are two concepts-pañcāstikāya and ṣadjivanikāya and both of them have been prevalent in Jainism in thec. 4th-3rd B. C. in their crude form, but were developed and systematised in c. 3rd-5th A. D.
Distinct references of ṣadjivanikaya are available in the first chapter of Acaranga and in Sūtrakṛtānga also. It is accepted by all the scholars that all these scriptures are of the c. 4th B. C. and are conte
mporary to the older part of Pali Tripitaka and earlier Upanisadas. It is likely that these concepts might have belonged to Mahavira.
The concept of pañcāstikāya basically belongs to the Parsva tradition. It is recoginsed in the tradition of the Mahavira also while interpreting the world. There is a reference in the Bhagavatisūtra to the effect that Mahavira has accepted the Parsva ideas that the universe is made of Pañcāstikāya.
I do not agree with Pt. Malvania's opinion that the concept of pañcāstikāya is a later developed concept. It is true, of course, that in the earlier works of Mahavira's tradition there is mention of only sadjivanikaya and not of pañcästikäya. But when the Parsva tradition merged with that of the Mahavira,