ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 556

Works of Kunda Kunda All the works of Kunda kunda are in Prak ta verses which are easy to recite and understand. Pr bh tatraya or n aka, i.e. the trilogy of Pac stik yas ra, Pravacanas ra, and Samayas ra or Samayas ra -pr bh ta, Niyamas ra, Aap huda, Raya s ra; Braha A uvekkh are the best creations of kundkund. All these books have been printed. He is said to have written 84 p hudas but they are not as yet found in any library.
Central concept of the textThere are two important concepts in Pa C stikaya which are perplexing to students of Jainism, the astik ya i.e. the existent and the dravya / substance. The term astik ya is a compound name made up of asti and k ya which respectively mean existing and extensive magnitude. Thus astik ya means a real that has extensive magnitude. The other term dravya means the real that is changing like the flow of water.
(1) Existent / Astik ya- The existents are of five types namely j va /living being (soul), aj va, pudgala (matter), dharma (principle of motion), adharma (principle of rest) and k a (space)). These five build up the cosmos. Space and matter are distinctly extended exitents. Dharma and Adharma are indirectly related to space. Their operation is in space and is limited to Lok k sa, Thus they may also be considered as related to space. Lastly life is generally associated with body; the organic body is constituted by pudgala or matter. J va is operative in and conditioned by such a physical medium. In a way therefore j va also is related to space. These five existences which have spatiality either directly or indirectly are the five astik yas. These are the constituent elements of the universe or the world. According to the text, astik yas are described in this way -
Jiv puggalak y dhammadhamma taheva y sam Atth ttamh ya n yad anannamaey a umahamt. (1/4)
Jes m ath sah o gu eh saha pajjarh vv heh. Te hot atthik y nippa am jehi tailokkam. (1/5)
Here the author enumerates the five existents. He describes the number of each and the general and special characteristics of the different astik yas. J vas, pudgalas, the principles of rest and motion, and finally space - these are the astik yas. They are eternal, uncreated and of huge magnitude.
The things, which have the essential nature of manifesting themselves severally through their numerous attributes and modes up to the limits of the three worlds, are the astik yas- they being the constituent part of the world. Another substance which is the main cause for every change / transformation in this world is called k la (time). In the text the author didn't include time dravya in Astik ya. Therefore k la has no extension in space either directly or indirectly. Hence it is not an astik ya. Time has its own definitions. K la or time, though not an element of the physical universe as mentioned in the text; however it is, through its attributes of change and motion, is admitted to be real. So time also must be considered real. The real or absolute time, as contrasted with the relative time, is constituted by simple elements known as kls or instants. Instants, points and atoms are the characteristics conceptions of Jaina thought and in this respect it has a wonderful corroboration from the field of Modern mathematics and physics.
So, k la (time) is not an astik ya. It is distinctly a real entity which accounts for changes in other things. Such are the characteristics of real time. This should not be confounded with Vyavah rak la or relative time which is measured by some conventional units of either long or short duration. These conventional distinctions would have no meaning if they are not coordinated in a single real time series.
Theory of existence: The term dravya (substance) denotes any existence which has the important characteristics of persistence through change. Panc stik ya admits only the dynamic reality or dravya. Dravya then is
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0