Jaina Gazette 1930 03

Author(s): Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office

Page 6

THE JAINA THEORY OF MATTER
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the Greek thought. 'In the Nyaya system, Senses are said to be material in essence. This is perhaps another argument in support of our contention that so far as Gotama was concerned, he did not look upon Extension and Impenetrability as the primary attributes of Matter.
Coming to the Jaina conception of Pudgala, we find that it stands for Matter in both its gross and subtle states. In its subtle state, Pudgala no doubt exists in space; but it is more like a mathematical point than a hard and extended substance. The author of the Punchasti-kaya-samaya sara describes subtle Matter as “Naravakaso " i.e., spatial and as “Na Savakaso," i.o, non-spatial. The contradiction which is apparent in such a description will disappear only if the Pudgala-Paramanu be conceived as a geometrical point, a seat of potentialities. That Matter in its extremely subtle state is not conceived priinarily as an impenetrable, extended substance will also appear from the Jaina enumeration of the Pradesas in Pudgala. A Pradesa is that much of space which is occupied by one indivisible Paramanu of Matter. Now, Pudgala is said to have (i) numerable, (ii: innumerable and (iii) infinite Pradesas. The Pradesas, obstructed by the Paramanus, forming a particular compound thing can be counted while the Pradesas, occupied by all the Para manus which exist in the Lokakasa, a limited space after all, are obviously innumerable. But how can Matter be said to have infinite Pradesas? The Jaina thinkers point out that the number of Pudgala-Paramanus in a subtle state may be said to be infinite and hence the Prade-as of Pudgala may be infinito. The author of the Tattvartha-raja-vartika distinctly says, ** You cannot say that the Paramanus cannot be infinite in number as there is no infinite number of rooms for them in the universe. The Para manus in their subtle state can interpenetrate or in-form one another.” The subtle Paramanus, then,-any number of them-can occupy one and the same space simultaneously. This is possible, it need scarcely be said - only if the subtle Pudgala be a geometrical point. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat