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The entire purpose thus becomes clear. It was the ingenuity of those scholars who circumvented the cumbersome problem of unmanageably large number of terms at the higher end of the counting. So instead of simple unity increment or multiples were replaced with the powers which reduced the number of numerical terms between 8400000 and shirshprahelika to only 28! How practical! We have discussed the special features of Jain Arithmetic with regard to the biggest numerate number, the importance of the number 84 Lakhs and the probable reasons for squaring the 84 Lakhs in expanding the numerates. These discussions establish the independent development of Jain Mathematics.
There is one more aspect of Jain Arithmetic about 'zero' which is equally interesting - whatever exists may be near to or tending to zero but cannot be 'absolute zero'. Entities and realities can be infinitesimally small but cannot be absolute zero. This concept is an example of the practical approach towards the permanent existence of six realities. However, Jain Agamic literature has existence of realities taken into consideration of absolute zero while describing the attributes of one reality is always absent in the attributes of the rest of the five realities. This absence is absolute zero. For example, the attribute of Dharmastikaya is the medium to help in motion of soul and pudgal. There is absolutely zero presence of this attribute in the rest of the five realities.
4. Tending to Zero but not Absolute Zero
The mathematician, Euclid assigned no dimension to the finest point of the space. Although, any dimension (length, breadth and height) is obtained by joining these dimensionless points in the space. Similarly, the scientist, Newton, used to treat the finest particles of matter, the atoms, as having zero dimensions. But Einstein, while making use of the Gaussian geometry, has compared the finest point of space with other micro particles. Similarly, in Jain literature, the finest forms of the six realities have been compared and a definite relationship established.
For instance, mutual equivalence has been established among the finest part of matter, parmanu, the finest part of akash, pradesh, and the finest part of time, samaya. Hence the finest part of elementary tattvas of nature cannot be reduced to zero. They all may be defined to be infinitesimally small-tending to zero - but cannot be zero.
Let us try to know the fact seriously as to why there is no place given to the digit 'zero' in the Jain canonical literature?
As per Jain philosophy, once an entity (Tattva) is reduced to 'zero', it cannot reappear into existence. In other words, no reality which exists in this loka can reduce to zero either in quantity or in quality. Hence 'zero' cannot have existence in the realm of Dravyas or in relation to Dravyas. No basic Dravya (material) can vanish or can be
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