Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

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who knows all the aspects of all things, knows all the aspects of one thing.1
BASHISTHA NARAYAN SINHA
The technical terms used for the character or characters of a thing is 'Dharma' and the thing itself is known as 'Dharmi', because it possesses different 'Dharmas'. It is also addressed as 'Dravya' (substance). 'Dravya' or substance has two types of characters-(i) essential and (ii) accidental. They are known respectively as 'Guna' or attribute and 'Paryaya' or mode. Therefore a substance is defined as that which has 'Guna' (attribute) and Paryaya (mode).2 The essential characters or attributes of a substance cause its existence. No substance can exist without its attributes. It exists in and through its attributes. It means attributes of a substance may be considered as unchangeable i.e. substance and attributes can never be separated. They are interdependent. If there is some substance, there must be some attributes, in the same way, if there are some attributes there must be some substance. According to Radhakrishnan 'the chief qualities (Gunas) are: (1) Existence, (2) Enjoyability, (3) Substantiveness, (4) Knowability, (5) Specific character or identity or essence, (6) the quality of possessing some kind of
form.'3
'Paryaya' or 'modes' are changeable characters which are sometimes possessed by a substance but sometimes not. Time to time they meet with a substance and separate from it. Thus a substance, being the possesser of attributes and modes, may be regarded as both permanent and temporary. It is permanent because its attributes are always there. It is temporary because its modes are changeable and temporary. Again a substance is real because it exists with its permanent qualities and it is also unreal because it has its temporary modes. In the same way it is both one and many. Thus viewed from the point of attributes
1. Eko bhāvaḥ sarvatha pena dṛṣṭaḥ sarve bhāvāḥ sarvathā tena dṛṣṭāḥ| Sarve bhāvāḥ sarvatha yena dṛṣṭāḥ eko bhāvāḥ sarvatha tena dṛṣṭaḥll
Gunaparyayavad dravyam
S. Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Vol. I, p. 313
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