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The Jaina Theory of Matter.
By Harisatya Bhattacharyya M.A., B.L. (Continued from page 60 of the March Issue.)
| SKANDHA. Skandha, as said already, is a complete molecular constituu tion. Although the term Pudgala is strictly applicable to Matter in its ultimate form, that is to say, to Para manu, Skandha, a gross body as it is, is also called Pudgala. In a Skandha, we have the material qualities of touch, taste, odour and colour, in their explicit manifestation. It is defined as “Sayala-Samaltham" (Sakala-Samasta) i.e., a complete molecule. Such a molecular body is said to be capable of existing in any of the six forms :
1. Badara-budara, a solid thing. Under this class, come those substances which we ordinarily call solid and hard.
2. Badara,-a liquid thing. The characteristic of such a substance e.g., Water, is that its parts become combined as soon as they are separated.
3. Sukshma-badara,--a substance, appearing as solid. Instances of such a substance are Darkness, Lightning' Shade-a mass of which can neither bo broken nor separated nor caught.
4. Badara-sukshma —a small particle, capable of being perceived. A substance under this class is very minute, although it is perceptible by the senses of touch, taste, smell and hearing.
5. Sukshma,-a particle, so small as to be imperceptible. Karma-Pudgala is a substance of this nature which is so minute as to be imperceptible.
6. Sukshma-sukshma, an extremely small particle. Such a substance is minuter than even Karma-Pudgala. It is Skandha all the same and may be an aggregate, made up of two Paramanus only.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
