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JAINA PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION
of atoms but we are not aware of it, i.e., we have no perception of atoms.
Matter is said to consist of numerable (sankhyeya), innumerable (asańkhyeya) and infinite (ananta) parts (pradeśas). This statement seems to be contradictory, since the number of the units of the universe-space (lokākāśapradeśas) is only innumerable, whereas the material units may be infinite. How can an infinite number of material particles be accommodated in innumerable particles of the universespace? This question would have been quite valid if all the infinite particles of matter were in a free state. But they are not so. Even an ordinary person has the experience that a tiny piece of fuel on combustion gives rise to an enormous volume of smoke-particles. A scientist knows that a quantity of water when converted into steam occupies a volume about 1700 times greater than the original volume. Therefore, there is no possibility of contradiction between the conception of the particles of the universe-space that are innumerable (asankhyeya) and that of infinite (ananta) particles of matter.
Now, how can we justify the conception of numerability, innumerability and infiniteness of material particles ? It is said that in one pradeśa, i.e., in one unitary cell of space only one atom of matter will find place if it is in a free state, but in an aggregate form any number of atoms can occupy one or more units of space.' The same idea can be expressed in a different language: One atom occupies one unit of space, but two atoms in a state of combination may also be accommodated in the same unit. Two free atoms will occupy two units, but two atoms forming a diatomic molecule can cover one as well as two units. Three atoms can be located in a single unit if they are all in a state of condensation; they can occupy two spatial units if two atoms are in a state of condensation and one is free; they occupy three
1. Tattvärtha-sutra, V. 14.
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