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THE JAINA GAZETTE Dravya Samgraha stating, "Modifications of Matter are Sound, combination, Minute, Gross, Shape, Separation, Darkness, Shadow, Brilliance and Heat." Of these, the nature of sound has already been briefly described and will be dealt with a little later on. With regard to these modifications of Pudgala, the author of the Panchasti-kaya speaks of its four possible states or conditions viz., Skandha, Skandha-pradesa, Skandha-desa and Paramanu. The first is Matter in its gross form,-material body, having all the physical qualities without exception while the last is the primary atom. Skandha-desa is described as the half of Skandha and Skandha-pradesa, the half of Skandha-desa. Thus while Skandha is a complete molecular constitution, Skandha-desa and Skandha-pradesa are incomplete masses, although both of them are aggregates of Paramanus. Of the four modes of Matter, just described, Skandha and Paramanu are the most important, for they exhibit Matter in two of its extreme forms.
Paramanu The essential nature of the ultimate Matter-stuff has already been touched upon. The Paramanu is eternal, in as much as it was never created by any Being and as it will never be destroyed. Sound, it will be noted hereafter, is a modification of Matter according to the Jainas and as such does not belong to the ultimate atom. The Paramanu is accordingly described as ' Asabda' i.e., silent or unsounding. There can be no Matter-stuff finer than the Paramanu, which is thus the limit of all molecules and gross material substances. All things baving forms are the aggregates of Paramanus and so logically at least, the Paramanu must be conceived as of corporal form. Earth, Water, Air and Fire were looked upon as the primal material Elements by some of the early Greek thinkers. The author of the Panchasti-kaya-Samayasata distinctly says that the Paramanu is subtler than these Elements, in as much as it is " Dhaduchuduktoosa Karanam " i.e., the cause of these four Elements. The Paramanu is spatial as it is undoubtedly a point in space; but this does not mean
that it is a minute, hard, impenetrable substance like the Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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