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KARMA : THE MATERIAL BASIS..
Vardhamāna-Purāņa also says that pudgala is endless and eharacterised by colour, smell, taste and touch.34 It has two chief forms - atom and molecules. 35 An atom is obtained by a process of division leading to the indivisible,36 whereas molecules can be decomposed into their constituent parts by division.37 Matter (pudgala) is of six kinds depending upon the refinement of its constituents. They stand in this order : earth (grossgross), water (gross), shade (gross-fine), objects of the four senses (fine-gross), karmic-matter (fine) and atom (fine-fine). The karmic-matter is very fine. It cannot be perceived by the senses. It is that kind of matter which is capable of becoming gross-matter.38 Now, the material-molecules called vargraņās are groups of the same kind of matter. 39 They are of twenty-three kinds40 of which the thirteenth is the karmicmolecule (karma-vargaņā).41 Karma-vargaņā consists of more atoms but occupy less space in comparison with mind-group of molecules (mano-vargaņās) which precede it, 42
The karmic-matter has the “Peculiar property of developing the effects of merit and demerit. 43 " So even if it is considered to be physical in nature, it has a tendency to determine the psychic characteristics. Each of the five classes of
34 Vardhamana-Purāņa, XVI. 16. 35 Umāsvāmi, Ibid., V. 25. 36 Ibid., V. 27; Kundakunda, Niyama-Sāra, 35. 37 Umāsvami, Ibid., V. 26; Nemicandra, Dravya-Sangraha, 26 ( for
tripple process of division, fusion and both). 38 Nemicanvira, Gommațasāra (Jiva-kānda), 602-603, Kundakunda, Pan
cāstikā ya-sāra, 83. 39 Jinabhadra Ksamā śramana, Viseșāvas yaka-b'rūsja,636. 40 Ibid., 637-638; Karma-Grantha, V. 75; Gommatasära (Jiva-Kānda)
594-95. 41 Nemicandra, Gommatasāra (īva-kānda), 594. 42 Jinabhadra Kșania śramana, Vi.bh., 631-7; Bhadrabālu, Av. Nir.,
39, Kg. gr. V. 76 43 Radhakrishanan, I. P., Vol. I., p 319.
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