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The Jaina world of Non-living
this term in this translation and its supplementary notes. Some scholars and saints have been translating this term through ultimate or elementary particles on the basis of atomic researches during the last two hundred years. Some call it as 'ultimate atom'. 3. The definition of the term 'atom' has always been as a unit indivisible, invisible finest constituent of material world since the preChristian and pre-instrumental era. However, when powerful instruments could lead to the composite character of prehistoric , the scientific world modified the definition of atom as the basic unit with specific characters of the material entity. The component parts due to new discoveries were called sub-atomic or fundamental particles. Thus, there are three types of mattergy at present: (i) sub-atomic or fundamental particles, (ii) atoms and (iii) aggregates (physical mixtures/chemical compounds). 4. The scientific west has accepted the above modified picture about the term 'atom'. However, the canonist or supra-authority-based east is not in a mood to do so. He feels it will entail contrariety or falseness of scriptures. The attribute of 'indivisibility' has
has been their catchword. The Jainian atom should also be indivisible at all costs. Thus, it has been equated with different fundamental particles like electron, stripped atoms and now quark (later some other one if quark is proved to be a composite one - who knows ?) at different times. Many scholars have now started calling it as ultimate particle or atom. How far this attitude is justified - is a question for moderate scholars. 5. The current aphorism indicates that the atoms occupy only one spacepoint (lowest unit of fineness) and they do not occupy more than one spacepoint. This statement should be taken with historical rather than scriptural perspective. 6. It seems that this problem of indivisibility of atom must have intrigued the early Jaina scholars. They have solved it in such a way that popular meaning could also be acceptable by the same term. Just as they have classified the term 'perception' (Pratyakṣa - (i) supra-sensual (ii) sense-based) in terms of worldly and superworldly varieties having seemingly contradictory meaning for the common man, the Anuyogadvāra and Jambūdvipa-prajnapti also classified the term 'atom
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