________________
MATTER
115
Colour - Five kinds of colour are described : blue (nila), yellow (pīta), white (śukla), black (krsņa) and red (lohita).'
Thus, the four characteristics are divided into twenty categories (8 kinds of touch plus 5 kinds of taste plus 2 kinds of smell plus 5 kinds of colour = 20 kinds). That is why it is mentioned that 'pudgala' is characterised by five kinds of colour, five kinds of taste, two kinds of smell and eight kinds of touch.?
It is further mentioned that the foregoing twenty are the principal divisions. Each of these may be further subdivided into numerable, innumerable and infinite kinds. Parts of Matter :
Matter consists of numerable, innumerable and infinite parts according to its different combinations. The scientific division of matter is like this : concrete matter and invisible matter. The concrete form is called Matter and the invisible form is known as Energy. Matter is further divided into solids, liquids and gases. All the three forms of matter consist of molecules and atoms. Atoms are again an assemblage of indivisible elementary particles as protons, electrons and their combinations.
The Jaina thinkers also regard matter to be of two kinds: concrete or perceptible skandhas (molecules) and imperceptible or subtle anus (atoms). When we say that atoms (aņus) are imperceptible, we only mean that they are imperceptible explicitly. The contact or relation between our sense-organs and atoms is present, but on account of the lack of capability of the sense-organs or nerves to send the message to the brain in an explicit form, we are unable to perceive them distinctly. In other words, there is a sensation
1. Ibid., V. 23.8-10. 2. Bhagavatī-sūtra, XII. 5.450. 3. Sarvārtha-siddhi, V.23. 4. Tattvārtha-sūtra, V. 10.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
