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JAINA PHILOSOPHY : AN INTRODUCTION
hold the physical world to be non-existent like dream ? Hence, the existence of material objects cannot be unreal. Therefore, matter does exist. Meaning of Pudgala :
The Jaina writers have used the term 'pudgala' exactly in the sense of matter. 'Pudgala' is one of the six substances recognised by Jainism. How does the Jaina explain the word 'pudgala'? The word 'pudgala' has two parts: 'pud' and 'gala.'
The first part 'pud' means 'to combine' and the second part 'gala' means 'to dissociate'. Hence, the etymological meaning of the word 'pudgala' is : that substance which undergoes modifications by combinations and dissociations. This definition of 'pudgala' is very significant. It is 'pudgala' alone which undergoes modifications by combinations and dissociations. This process of combination and dissociation does not occur in the other substances. The selection of the word 'pudgala' is full of deep meaning. It is worthy of note that the use of this word in the sense of matter is quite peculiar of Jainism. Definition of Matter :
Matter has four characteristics associated with it, viz., touch, taste, smell and colour. Each and every element of matter possesses these four characteristics.
Touch - Eight kinds of touch are described in the Jaina works : soft (mydu), hard (kathina), heavy (guru), light (laghu), cold (sīta), hot (uşņa), smooth (snigdha) and rough (rūkșa).? Modern psychology recognises only four principal kinds of touch : cold, hot, painful and general. · Taste - It is of five kinds : bitter (tikta), sour (kațuka), acidic (āmla), sweet (madhura) and astringent (kaşāya).
Smell - Smell is of two kinds : good smell and bad smell (surabhigandha and asurabhigandha).
1. Tattvārtha-sútra, V.23. 2. Tattvārtha-rāja vārtika, V. 23.7
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