Jaina Psychology

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

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JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
functions.1 Vātsyāyana argues that the senses serve five purposes: touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, and hearing. These five purposes presuppose the existence of five distinct sense-organs. Touch is cognised by the tactual organ; but colour is not cognised by it. So the existence of the visual organ is inferred which serves the purpose of cognising colour. Touch and colour are cognised by the tactual organ and the visual organ respectively; but these organs do not cognise odour. So we are justified in inferring the existence of the olfactory organ that serves the purpose of cognising odour. Similarly, touch, colour, and odour are cognised by the tactual organ, the visual organ, and the olfactory organ respectively; but they do not cognise taste. So we infer the existence of the gustatory organ which cognises taste. Lastly, touch, colour, odour, and taste are cognised by the tactual organ, the visual organ, the olfactory organ, and the gustatory organ respectively; but these organs do not grasp sound. So the existence of the auditory organ is inferred that grasps sound. The function of one sense-organ cannot be performed by another sense-organ. Hence, the existence of the five sense-organs is inferred from the five types of sense-activities. These five sense-organs correspond to the five sites. The tactual organ that cognises touch has its seat throughout the body. The visual organ which perceives colour has its seat in the pupil of eye. The olfactory organ that is indicated by the perception of odour has its site in the nose. The gustatory organ which is inferred from the prehension of taste has its site in the tongue. The auditory organ that is inferred from the cognition of sound has its seat in the cavity of ear.? According to the Nyāya-Vaišeşika, all the sense-organs prehend their objects by coming in direct contact with them. The visual organ in the form of light-rays moves out to the object endued with colour. The tactual organ, the gustatory organ, the auditory organ, and the olfactory organ come in contact with their objects resting in their own sites. They, unlike the visual argan, do not move out to their objects. The sense-organs are composed of material elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Therefore, each of them senses the particular quality of its element. There is a community of nature
1 Indriyārthapañcatvāt.
Nyāya-sútra, III, I, 58. 2 Nyāya-bhāşya, III, I, 58. 3 Ibid., III, 1, 62.