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Śri Rāmānujācarya and Jainism
philosophers say that the soul is included in the astikāyadravyas, because its constituents possess extension in space. It has quality of expansion and contraction. But it does not extend in space like matter. It is like the light. Just as the light fills the space, when it is burning and just as many lights may remain in the same place, without coming into conflict with one another, siinilarly, the soul fills the space and many souls may remain together without any conflict. Though, the self itself formless, it takes the form of the body, which it illuminates. There is no harm in accepting the soul of an ant is as small as the body of it, and the soul of an elephant is as big as the elephant itself. Like a light of the lamp, it occupies entire body of the elephant, or contracts itself, according to the size of the body. The soul is co-extensive with the body. The Jaina view that the soul has the size of the body seems to be bases on practical significance. What is the point in believing the soul to be all-pervading, if the particular body alone is the centre of enjoyment (bhogāyatana) and comes under his jurisdiction ?
We have seen that, these Vedāntic Ācāryas have given several arguments against the Jaina conception of the size of the soul. It is surprising to note that the Jaina Philosophers who flourished after Nimbārka, Śankara and Rāmānuja, did not give any attention to criticism of Dehaparimāņavāda made by these Vedāntic Ācāryas. Šarkarācārya, alone raised more than ten objections against it. We do not find any attempt made by the Jaina Philosophers to answer these objections. They remained unanswered by the Jainas.
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