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Letter 16
107 From the above discussion you would realise that modifications of touch, taste, smell and colour as well as modification named sound are all modifications of Pudgal substance. Pudgal substance itself does not know its own modifications. Nor does it experience pleasure or pain due to any specific modifications. That is why the question, as to whether a particular modification is good or bad does not arise.
Jeev substance is the one who knows all these modifications. But due to ignorance, Jeev identifies himself with these modifications. Instead of realising and understanding that the modifications of the body are the modifications of the Pudgal substance, he considers them to be his. This is his greatest blunder and ignorance. The Jeev ignorantly considers himself to be fair, slim, fat, considers as 'my hands are soft, my hair are rough' etc. and so on.
Thus out of these innumerable modifications, those which seern to be favourable to us, we consider them to be good and those which are unfavourable, we consider them to be bad. This is not the true state of facts. We unnecessarily, without rhyme or reason, imagine to be happy and sad. The modifications of touch, taste, smell, colour and sound are all modifications of Pudgal substance. The Pudgal is the Karta or doer of these modifications. Jeev only knows them. But Jeev considers himself to be the 'Karta 'of these modifications.
For example, we thought and believed that I cook tasty dishes', 'I prepare soft chapati', 'I can draw and paint,''I sing and have melodious voice'. Jeev only knows or takes cognisance of these modifications through sensory organs. But while gaining this knowledge Jeev believes himself as happy or unhappy because of these things and he wants to be the enjoyer i.e. Bhokta aim of these modifications.
While eating sweets like Gulabjamun, we know the modification of the attribute of taste as sweet but we imagine so much pleasure in that sweet modification and get lost into it. If there was real pleasure in eating them, we would have not stopped after eating 8 or 10 pieces. We would have continued eating them.
When we dislike the modification of the smell attribute of body which is in the form of foul smell or bad odour of perspiration, we spray scent on it and believe to be happy. We think that I have become full of fragrance'. In fact, there is no attribute of smell in Jeev substance, so the bad odour modification of the body is also not that of Jeev nor is the fragrance modification of the body spray is of Jeev.
Jeev gets the knowledge of these modifications through the five sensory organs. The touch modification is known through the organ of touch, that of taste through tongue or organ of taste, that of smell through
