________________
88/JAIN STUDIES AND SCIENCE
MATTER (PUDGAL)
According to Mahapragya, word 'Pudgal', as found in Jain literature is loosely equivalent to the scientific term 'matter'. It has two parts pud and gala. The first part pud means 'to combine' and second part gala means 'to dissociate'. So the etymological meaning of pudgala is that mattereal which undergoes modifications by combination and dissociation. The definition is significant because these processes of combination and dissociation do not occur in the other five mattereals.
Succinctly, Pudgal means tangible entity having four qualities of touch, taste, hue (colour) and odour. These qualities provide shape to a Pudgal. Pudgal can be divided to achieve a param-anu which is further indivisible. Pudgal in its largest form is called Achita Mahaskandh-an omnipresent inanimate entity. However, such Mahaskandh manifests itself in the rare of the rarest circumstances and that too for a few moments. As this event is singular to the Jains, it needs elaboration. 1. Inanimate Mahaskandh
Inanimate Mahaskandh is a form of Pudgal which spreads throughout the universe. This has been described in the process of kevali-samudghat, a phenomenon exclusively credited to the Jains. Keval-samudghat happens only to those liberating souls who are left with little life span and the period required for emancipation of karmic matter is relatively more. In such singularly abnormal cases following sequence of events takes place --
1.
The soul expands in the entire universe in such a way that each pradesh (smallest unit) of soul penetrates in the each pradesh of Universal space. Simultaneously, the existing karmic pudgals also inflate and get dissociated from the soul permanently.
w
Unlike other religions where it is said that the liberated soul amalgamates with God, Jains believe that the soul squeezes back to his normal size and re-enters the body leaving behind the network karmic pudgals in the universe as a snake sheds its slough. This left behind network of karmic pudgals is called inanimate Mahaskandh.
4.
The next moment, the liberated soul migrates to the designated abode of Siddha.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
