Jain Journal 1979 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 23

JANUARY, 1979
109
i.e. the medium of motion, etc. Of course, dharma etc. come within the fold of ajiva, i.e. the non-living category which includes matter (pudgala).
The concept of five extensive substances, i.e. pañcāstikāyas, or six substances, i.e. sad dravyas, is not traceable in the two oldest canonical texts, viz. Acārānga and Sutrakytānga. The Bhagavati refers to the five extensive substances, viz. dharma, i.e. the medium of motion, adharma, i.e. the medium of rest, ākāša, i.e. space, jīvas, i.e. souls and pudgala, i.e. matter?. It also refers to the six substances by adding addhāsamaya (kāla), i.e. time, which is not an extensive substance, to the above lists. Thus, the Bhagavati presents three views with regard to the constitution of the universe: (1) Souls and matter constitute the universe. (2) Five extensive substances are the constituents of the universe. (3) Six substances form the universe. These are, so to say, the three stages of the development of Jaina ontological ideas. It is evident from this account that in their search for the basic types of reals, Jaina seers or thinkers must have started with souls and matter. In the course of time, three additional concepts,
additional concepts, viz. the medium of motion, the medium of rest and space, were posited. The search came to an end only when the concept of time was added as the sixth.
Of the six fundamental substances, the first five, viz. souls, matter, the medium of motion, the medium of rest and space are called astikāyas, i.e. extensive substances, whereas the last category, viz. time is regarded as a non-extensive substance. The Jaina meaning of extension is different from the sense of material extension. It is in the form of plurality of particles or units forming a single body. As souls etc. exist, they are called asti, and because they have many pradešas, i.e. particles or units, like bodies, they are called kāyas. Hence, these five are called astikāyas, i.e. extensive substances. Time does not consist of such particles. Therefore, it is not an extensive substance. It is said to consist of innumerable independent units, i.e. entities.
What is exactly meant by a pradesa ? It is defined to be that part of space which is covered by an indivisible atom of matter 19. Thus, a pradeśa is a space-point equal in extent to an indivisible material particle. Such pradeśas contain not only the material atoms but also the particles of other substances. Just as the space-points are called pradeśas, the particles
? Bhagavati, 13.4 • Ibid., 25.4 • Dravyasangraha, 24 10 Ibid., 27