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THEORY OF MATTEREALS AND JAIN PHILOSOPHY / 89
It is the ingenuity of Jainism that it assigns equal capabilities of expansion to both the vigorous soul as well as the inanimate matter. It also accepts the existence of infinite number of individual liberated souls instead of all souls integrating with ONE Paramatma. The physical process of Kevali-Samundghat, as described by Mahapragya is narrated in the chapter of 'motion' in this book. Thus from the above description it is apparent that the Mahaskandh formation is a 'happening' during the Kevali-Samundghat. In scientific terms, it may be called 'the singularity'.
1.1. Singularity
The theory of Big-Bang is prevalent in the scientific world to explain the formation of universe. In it, scientific term - singularity - has striking similarity with the process of Kevali-Samundghat. Amazing conditions of zero volume, infinite temperature and density are believed to exist prior to the universe formation. In the initial moments of Big Bang, the temperature is said to be lowered to 1010 °C within a fraction of a second, and in next few seconds the particles and antiparticles formed to give shape to the universe. According to Einstein, Big-Bang and Big Crunch, both are singularities where no laws of physical sciences are applicable. He has called this phenomenon as a singularity of space-time.
There seems to be a similarity between the process of Kevali-Samudghat and the conditions of creation of universe in that both the events are so rapid that a few laws of physical sciences are not applicable to them. Therefore, it appears to be correct to accept the events of Kevali-Samudghat as singularity in which a soul expands in the entire universe in the smallest possible time. The Big Bang theory also propounds that in a few seconds a mammoth universe takes form from near zero volume. However, Einstein and Jains differ in their respective theories of singularities. While Einstein proclaimed that no laws of physics are applicable during these unique moments, Jains believe that all the laws remain intact and effective except that the speed barrier of light is broken. Jain literature mentions that the singularity takes place due to infinite speed (modern science rules out any object acquiring speeds greater than the speed of light which is 3x108 m/sec.) with which the soul travels resulting in zero time spent in covering vast universal distances. This reasoning is entirely based on laws of physics and mathematics where the inverse relation of zero and infinite is well recognised.
Having got acquainted with the enormous form of pudgal, we shall now discuss the character of pudgals in their finest form of param-anu.
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