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62
Pravacanasāra
separate because they are the cooccupants of the same spatial extense, and they are non-identical because one is not the other (II, 14-8). To illustrate: Soul is a substance; manifestation of consciousness is its quality; and its modifications are hellish, sub-human, human and divine embodiments which are caused by Nāmakarman, or even the state of a Siddha;1 behind all these modifications the soul is essentially the same and permanent (II, 20, 21, 25-7). The substance is one in view of its substantiality, but it comes to be manifold because of the modifications pervading it for the time being (II, 23).
EXPLANATORY REMARKS ON THE THREE:The substances, according to Jainism, are the irreducible constituents which, being themselves existential, give an existential character to the universe. The substance can be material as well as spiritual. So primarily, in view of their livingness or otherwise, they are two, and finally the same can be six. These substances, whether viewed in their twofold types or six classes, cannot be reduced back to anything as one substance as Vedāntins do with Brahman in view. The substances are arrived at by analysing the subjective and objective existence. The substances are not immutable but subjected to constant changes in their qualities and modifications with which they are endowed. A substance divested of qualities and modifications is merely an abstraction, simply a void, and as such not accepted in Jainism. The Nyāya school, however, accepts that the substances, just at the moment of their creation, are devoid of qualities which come to be intimately related with them only later.2 Substance is the substratum of qualities and modifications; and the intelligibility of a substance depends on its qualities and modifications, because they are its determinants. The relation between these three is that of non-separateness because they subsist in the [p. 66:] same spatial extense, and of non-identity because one is not the other. Qualities and modifications can be roughly compared with inseparable and separable accidents. Quality is mainly a differentia of a substance, while the modification stands for the apparent condition or state of appearance which serves as a badge for individual discrimination. Guņas and modifications have substance as their substratum: these three constitute a thing. A thing is subjected to origination, destruction and permanence. Origination and destruction refer to modifications and qualities on the permanent bed-rock of substance. It is only the permanent that changes; without permanence there is no meaning whatsoever in change. Any amount of changes in qualities and modifications can never convert the soul into non-soul and so forth.
1 The illustrations might be extended with reference to the remaining five substances as
well. Pudgala is a substance; colour, taste, smell and touch are its qualities, and the manifold material objects like pots, pins, pens etc. are the modifications. Dharma and Adharma are substances; to serve as fulcrums of motion and rest respectively is there quality, and the actual motion and rest, as associated with various moving and stationary bodies, are their modifications. Akāśa is a substance; to give room or space is its guna; and the space individually occupied by various objects like pot, pitcher etc. are its modifications. Lastly Kāla is a substance; vartanā or continuity is its guna; and seconds,
minutes, hours, etc., are the modifications of time. 2 adya-kşane nirgunam dravyam tişthati as in Tarkabhāṣā etc.
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